


CoLu Week 2020

by Therashae



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, Detectives, F/M, Fairy Tail Dragon Slayers, Mental Health Issues, dragon slayers are dragons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:34:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 24,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24689965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Therashae/pseuds/Therashae
Summary: A collection of short and not-so-short stories about lovely Lucy and caustic Cobra.
Relationships: Cobra | Erik/Lucy Heartfilia
Comments: 26
Kudos: 60
Collections: CoLu Week 2020





	1. Announcement

Dragonshost is hosting CoLu Week again! Of course we all know I'm a sucker for our sexy snake fucker. Not that he fucks snakes. He's glaring at me right now and… ANYWAY! CoLu. It's a thing. It's sexy. It's coming. 

I've got a couple of one shots in the works. I may not be on time, but I will post for all the prompts...before next year's CoLu Week. 

Dates: June 14, 2020 - June 20, 2020

Prompts:

Day 1: Splinter (Non-Magical AU nod to our favorite detective duo)

Day 2: Constellation (Continuation of Splinter)

Day 3: Port (Continuation of Constellation)

Day 4: Freedom

Day 5: Mosaic (Cobra's assessment of Lucy.)

Day 6: Weight (Lucy starts stress eating.)

Day 7: Frost (Dragons. The story ran away from me and I lost control.)

Day 8 (Bonus): Imposter


	2. Splinter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Modern, Non-Magical AU nod to my favorite detective duo.

Doctor Lucy Heartfilia had spent seven years in the military expecting to continue caring for Fiore troops until her golden hair turned silver and she retired. Maybe find a hunky Captain to spawn military brats with, see the world, live the adventure. Then came the Alvarez war and the Tartaros incident at Era.

The bombs had gone off early in the morning, screams of injured and dying sounding muted to Lucy as she stumbled through the smoke towards the chaos. Then came the sounds of gunshots. Men and women in uniform shooting people that had once called them friend. Between the bombs, the turncoats, and the three busses of plainclothes 'civilians' who had rolled through the gate just after the bombs went off the extremist sleeper cell had overtaken the entire base in just a couple hours. 

The large number of hostages had prevented a timely counter strike from occurring. One of the communication techs and two Privates had been killed the first time someone approached the base in their bodies hung on the razor-wire fence as a warning. Two more attempts had been made over the next week to retake the base. One had resulted in the previous commanding officer and his granddaughter being used as bombs. The next had been repelled, but the fallout had been worse. Half a dozen people had been tied to posts on the parade grounds and tortured, the recording broadcast so that the entire country knew. 

Lucy's attempt to use her status as a doctor to put a stop to the barbaric scene had gotten her shot in the knee as well as drawn the interest of the higher ranking terrorists. Her personal hell had lasted almost two weeks after that before Tartaros was put down and the Era hostages released. Lucy was just one on a long list of honorable discharges after that. 

So here she was. Limping through the streets of Crocus pretending that there wasn't a pink haired maid in chains walking beside her calling her 'Princess'. To be frank...there wasn't. She could see her though. Her knee was the only real physical sign of Tartaros. Her PTSD was officially diagnosed and medicated. The trauma induced schizophrenia was a more recent development and she was still hiding it from her therapist. After all she knew the things she saw were fake. She had a handle on it. 

"Please allow me to carry your bags for you, Princess." Hell no. She wasn't handing anything to her imaginary friend. "I have not served you as I should, Princess. Please punish me." Again. No. Why she had a pain whore as an imaginary friend she wasn't entirely sure. Virgo was probably to process the whole torture part of Tartaros. "Or allow him to punish me." 

Lucy's eyes crinkled slightly as she studied 'him'. Dark red hair, intense dark eyes that she really wanted a closer look at. At least...some part of her did. The Leo splinter of her fracturing mind. "Fuck me eyes." The man with cat ears in his wild mane of hair leaned on her shoulder. "I'd love to ask him to bite me. Can I, Princess?" No. No way in hell. Her eyes dropped when the man turned slightly to better face the person he was talking to. She wasn't asking anyone to bite her, but she could vividly imagine sinking teeth into that ass. 

Lucy took a deep breath and took a seat on a bench, reaching down to rub her aching knee and mumbling at her imaginary friends. "Would you guys go away and let me take my walk in peace. Three more blocks and we can go home." Shopping was her form of exercise these days. 

"But Princess-"

"Shut up and go away." The pair vanished in a shower of golden sparkles. She rolled her eyes at her brain before standing and starting to walk again. The series of events that next took place left her blinking into purple eyes and from fighting not to lick her lips at the smirk she was faced with. 

A young man turned away from a shop window, bumping into her and sending her falling towards the concrete when her knee gave out. Her eyes widened as her bags slid off her arm as she fell, finding themselves on the arm of the person who had crashed into her. The man she, Virgo, and Leo had been oogling turned smoothly, grabbing her bags with one hand, twisting them around the pickpocket's hand to yank his arm behind his back. His other hand caught Lucy, adjusting her fall so that she ended up draped backwards over his knee with him smirking down at her. 

"You really should let someone help you when you are this tired."

"Um…" Lucy was having trouble focusing past the overlapping chatter of the 'friends' who appeared around them.

"Call the cops for us? My phone is in my back left pocket since you didn't bring yours today." The pickpocket tried to escape, only to find his arm twisted farther and his forehead pressed against the sidewalk. Lucy moved without thinking it through. One foot moved to step on the pickpocket's unrestrained hand while she reached into the back pocket of the sexy man and pulled his phone out. The thought crossed her mind that she didn't know how to unlock said cell phone, but before she could voice that the man spoke again. "Triple Seis."

Lucy snickered as she typed and hit the call button, holding the phone up to his ear when he tipped his head. "The devil's number?" He shifted her weight so she could put more pressure on the pocket picker's hand as he chuckled. At this point she was basically sitting in his lap. 

"It works." His eyes left hers as a voice spoke from the phone. "Angel. It's me. Beth call in today? ...it is. ...My hands were full so prettier fingers were working my buttons." Lucy felt herself blush and heard Leo make inappropriate comments about buttons. "Vidalia's Cafe on Forth. Pickpocket. I'd let the good Doctor keep stepping on him, but he likes it. Yep. ….not yet. ...hey if he struggles…" He snorted. "Bitch hung up on me. How unprofessional."

Lucy arched a brow. "You're on pet name basis with the 911 operator?" Sounded like he was dating the girl. How... disappointing.

The man shrugged. "She's my neighbor, and we kind of work together. I'd rather fuck Beth than her and he's a he." Ooooookay. Gay. Fuck. "No I'm not. Angel is just not my type."

Lucy arched a brow. "So… Spiderman reflexes are a thing."

The man scoffed. "I was watching him watching you." He smirked wickedly. "He wasn't appreciating your ass nearly enough."

Lucy slowly arched a brow. "I'm...not sure how I should feel about that."

"You should be insulted. Have you seen your ass? He should have been appreciating."

Lucy tried to ignore the anamorphic bull in a speedo looming over them. "He should absoluuuutely have appreciated your haunches Miss Luuuucy." Taurus was a pervert. That couldn't say good things about her.

"I will choose to take that as a complement." She smirked slightly before looking up at the police car that pulled up next to them and opened to emit an enormous, scowling blond.

Her savior grinned at the police officer. "Dreyer."

"Vivas." Detective Dreyer sounded anything but pleased at the sight before him.

Lucy's eyes flicked to the side as she saw movement, then refocused on real people when she saw a goat headed man moving closer. She took in the information he provided (from her own head) but didn't acknowledge him. "Vivas, Cobra. Private detective as renowned for his observational skill as for his unique choice in case load. Reported 'pain in the ass' of local authorities." Right. She had heard of the guy, had seen pictures on the news and not payed much attention. Her cousin had also complained about him. Loudly.

"What the fuck is my cousin doing in your lap, you toxic anarchist?" Her savior smirked slightly, seemingly pleased by pissing off the huge man. 

"Her knee isn't ready to stand up yet." Lucy put a little weight on her bad knee and hummed at the fact that it really wasn't ready to hold her. How Vivas had known she wasn't sure.

"Laxus?"

"Lucy."

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here." Lucy smiled sweetly. Laxus looked slightly nervous and Lucy could feel a silent chuckle in her rescuer.

Laxus grumbled a little and glared at the man...under Lucy and Mr Vivas. "Tell me...that you have actual proof this time? I'm not about to arrest someone with only orange peel under their fingernails as proof of their crime, right?"

Cobra sneered and Lucy now saw very clearly why he and her cousin didn't get along. "That man knew his twin sister was allergic to citrus, and had been-"

"Don't fucking care. This one. Do you have actual proof for this one, Vivas?"

The private detective pointed at a camera that was pointing at them from over the cafe door. He didn't even look at it so must have been expecting the question. "Recording of the incident." Laxus looked reluctant to accept that.

Lucy groaned and waved her hand at the man whose hand her foot was pinning down. "He literally has my purse on his arm. I was here, Laxus. Officer Dreyer." Laxus grunted and moved to cuff the man, reading him his rights as Mr Vivas stood, pulling Lucy smoothly to her feet. Lucy's lips twitched up as Laxus put the man into the back seat of his car. 

His canine partner, Cedar, growled from her crate. The man whimpered when the Belgian Malinois slammed into the bars between them. Lucy knew Cedar well enough to suspect the dog just...did that to be a bitch and intimate people, then laughed in her own head. She was a sweetie off duty. Played happily with Laxus's blue-nose pit Clutsy and Justice the cat. Lucy had been cuddle piled by the animals more than once.

Laxus stood by his car and scowled once he had the petty criminal settled and all the paperwork in order for Lucy's report. "Need a ride home, Blondie?"

Lucy huffed, ignoring the goat man lecturing Laxus on how to properly address 'Lady Lucy' and the bull man's offer to carry her home. "Laxus, you're blond too. I'm fine. I'll finish my walk and go home."

"....you're sure?" Her cousin was eyeing Mr Vivas as he spoke. 

"What? You think I'm gonna bite her when you drive away? Sink fangs into her neck and purr as I drink her blood?" Laxus visibly tensed and...grew as Vivas talked. 

"You fucking assh-"

"Boys!" Lucy pursed her lips and tapped her toes. "No dick measuring on public sidewalks or I'll be forced to call law enforcement on you for public indecency."

Both men blinked at her a couple times before each trying to not display amusement in front of the other one. Laxus snorted and rolled his eyes while Vivas smirked faintly and looked away as if he saw something more interesting. Laxus leaned on the roof of his patrol car and scowled at her. "Text me when you're safe behind your locked door."

Lucy rolled her eyes, again ignoring Capricorn who was lecturing her on locking her doors when she was at home. She did tend to forget. "Laxus it's a purse snatcher not a bloody stalker. I'll be fine." He just stared at her till she groaned. "Fine. I'll message you." He grunted and gave Me Vivas another scathing look before getting into the driver's seat and leaving. "Overprotective male."

"Maybe. You smell like a berry smoothie girl. Have a drink with me before you go? Call it an apology for groping you."

Lucy stared at the man. "I smell...you didn't grope me. Did you?" 

Capricorn was warning her that the man was trouble. Dark purple eyes smirked at her, eyes daring her to...do something that probably wasn't a good idea. Definitely wasn't if you asked Capricorn. Of course if you asked Leo you would get the opposite answer. 'You' being Lucy because she was the only person who could see her mind splinters. 

"That you noticed." His smug grin had Lucy laughing. 

"Fine. A drink. You're buying."

"Of course."

Mr Vivas, or Cobra as he insisted she call him, took her to a local smoothie place that seemed to know him. The strawberry smoothie she normally considered healthy looked like pure junk food next to the green monstrosity he ordered. Lucy lost track of time and smoothie refills as they sat and talked. 

The man was beyond brilliant. A glance at the people around them seemed to reveal their very souls to his eyes. She could definitely see what made him good at what he did. He shared little people reading tips with her, smirking at her practice readings and telling her she was passably observant, then proceeding to tell her everything she missed and got wrong. It was annoyingly sexy. 

Capricorn approved of the detective's intelligence. Leo wanted to lick him. Virgo wanted to ask him to bite her. Taurus was curious as to whether his muscles were really as impressive as they looked under his expensive looking white jacket. Aires was torn between terror and the urge to cuddle with him. Sagittarius said he had remarkable manners. Aquarius said he was rude. Scorpio...was convinced the man could party like nobody's business. Gemini loved his wicked sense of humor. Cancer and Lucy's twitching fingers wanted desperately to touch his hair and see if it was as well cared for as it looked.

Their people watching session ended when Laxus called, panicking and thinking Lucy had been kidnapped or mugged since she hadn't called and told him she was home. Eye rolling happened before Lucy headed for home. It had felt perfectly natural for Cobra to walk her home. He didn't ask for permission. He just walked with her. He somehow brought the conversation to an end at the end of her front walk, smirking and waving over his shoulder as he kept walking. 

And that was how Doctor Lucy Heartfilia met Detective Erik Vivas. Little did she know that circumstances would be bringing them back together, that weeks and months later they would still be chasing adventure together. She definitely couldn't have expected to become the common sense and conscience for the most brilliant man she had ever met. Nor did she expect that it would be her records of the cases that they solved together that would be the beginning of her career as a famous author.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story came from the idea of Lucy's mind splintering under the strain of Tartaros. You'll see more of them over this week.


	3. Constellation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continuation of Splinter prompt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only a day late with yesterday's prompt. Don't judge my detective/crime stuff. The BS and the hand-waving are strong with me.
> 
> Day 2 Constellation...a day late.

Lucy's day had started out perfectly normal, peaceful even. Key word: started. Now she was spattered in blood, on her way to the hospital in the back of a cop car. Why? Cobra. Granted this had been slightly her own doing, but she was blaming it all on Cobra.

She had taken her usual walk downtown, bought a couple things she didn't really need, the usual. Then she'd gotten waved down by Cobra for a smoothie-sipping slash people-watching session. Still normal. They'd done that several times over the past few weeks. Laxus didn't know, of course. 

Things had been fine up until Cobra's intense purple eyes had focused on this cute little family stopping for boba tea. Pretty, dark-haired mom, precious little boy, adorable littler sister. The mom was consoling the boy over a missing pet. Lucy had made the first move. In her defense it a been perfectly logical to ask what the pet looked like. She had a cousin on the force after all. Maybe they could find it. 

She honestly still wasn't sure how they had gone from her "Maybe a nice police officer will see Raphael" to Cobra's "I'll find it". She did remember walking to the little apartment the family lived in, listening to Cobra and the little girl talk about how...perfect she was. The girl had a bigger ego than Laxus. 

A walk around the home, and a series of seemingly unrelated questions later, Cobra had started pulling chunks of turtle out of the garden. The tiny, egotistical sosciopath had snapped when Lucy began to explain to her mother what had happened. She had come after Lucy with a knife. 

Lucy had fallen into a panic attack, too deep in her flashback to reasonably defend herself. Blood had filled her vision and the voices of her lost friends as well as the new ones her brain and concocted screamed in her ears. When she could think again she found herself bandaging Cobra's eye while he talked to 'Beth' on the phone. The little girl had been barricaded into her room by her mother and the sirens drew closer with every second. 

As soon as the ambulance arrived Lucy had insisted Cobra go to the hospital. She had stayed behind to handle talking to the police. Her own therapist's business card had been passed to Mrs Ozai before Laxus helped her into the back of his squad car, heaven forbid she ge blood in his front seat, and headed for the hospital. He would have taken her home, but she insisted she needed to check on Cobra. 

She had blood on her and a big, scowling cop at her back so she was ushered to Cobra's side almost instantly. Apparently the man had asked where she was. That seemed odd to her, seeing as he had known exactly where she was, till she saw him. The side of his head was swaddled in bandages, one purple eye visible. He was also...high as fuck due to the IV in his arm.

"Starshiiiine!" The man sat up a little and made grabby hands at her. "You're so sparkly and pretty!"

"Um…" Lucy elbowed Laxus in the belly when he started snickering. "Hey Cobra. How are you feeling?" She moved closer and placed a hand on his chest to keep him down. That lost her possession of said hand when Cobra latched onto her and began playing with her fingers. 

"Fluffy and floaty and warm. It's so nice. You smell good."

"Oi! Stop sniffing my cousin you fucking loon!" Lucy glared at Laxus for being a dolt.

"Noooooo. Don't wanna. Don't be mean. She smells so sweet." Cobra was pouting. It was adorable. 

"Shhh. Cobra, it's fine. It's not like I'll start smelling differently just because Laxus has a bug in his ass." Cobra blinked at her.

"You do smell different. You smell...like me. I look good on you." Lucy opened and closed her mouth a couple times. Laxus began to make growling noises. "Like ...stars. Constellations and galexies and nebulas painted on your skin."

"Fucking nutcase. What the hell did they give him?"

"Maybe...I should clean up a bit."

"Noooo." He pouted again, clinging to her hand. "I still haven't found them all."

"All of what!?" Laxus was clearly more disturbed by High Cobra than he was Sober Cobra, and that was saying a lot.

"The constellations." Cobra looked a Laxus like he was stupid. "See?" He reached out and let his finger hover over Lucy's cheek, showing Laxus something she couldn't see. "It's Pisces." Seeing such a sweet look on a face that usually sported a sneer was odd.

"It's a fucking blood splatter."

"Actually that one is mostly aqueous humor." Lucy gasped at the calm way he said that.

"I thought...I hoped… If you eye was punctured shouldn't you be in surgery right now?" Cobra snorted at her and patted her hand.

"Shush Doc. It's fiiiine. Split the thing wide open so it's gone. I'll be pissy about it later." Even Laxus cringed at that. 

"Sorry man."

"Not a big deal. It's just an eye. I have another one. I'll just use Starshine for a seeing eye Doctor when I need depth perception."

"Hey!" Aquarius leaned over Cobra's bed and hissed at him. "The brat isn't a dog!" Lucy scowled at her before refocusing on Cobra. 

"You'll adjust fast, I'm sure. You're too smart not to." Cobra smirked at her then closed his eyes and sighed.

"Don't like change. It's scary. I like my life the way it is." Laxus cleared his throat and took a step towards the door, suddenly uncomfortable. 

"I'll pick up a change of clothes for you when I get off work, Lucy. You can't keep wearing that."

"Blue bag in the coat closet is packed. Just bring that." Laxus grunted in acknowledgment and left. 

Lucy had everything she needed to vanish for a whole weekend in that bag. Clothes, toiletries, money, first aide kit, throw away phone, nonperishable food, water, a gun. Capricorn and Aries had insisted she let her paranoia at least be useful that way. It let her relax just a little.

"Luuuuuucy." Lucy couldn't help but chuckle at Cobra's pleading tone as he looked up at her and tugged on her arm. "Cuddles?"

"Ooooh!" Aries had her hands clasped in front of her as she cooed at Cobra. "He's so adorably cute!" Lucy glanced at her and blushed as pink as her mind splinter's hair before looking back at Cobra.

"Your bed is too small and I don't think you know me well enough to ask when you aren't high on morphine." Cobra whined at her and pouted. 

"I'd still want you." Then he looked at Aries. "What did they say?"

"That you're cute." She tensed and grew pale as she realized what she had admitted to. 

"I am not." Cobra was clearly sulking. "I'm not some bunny or something."

"Y...you aren't. You're totally right." Lucy was confused, disturbed, and terrified. 

"I'm always right." The man closed his eyes again. "It's exhausting...and other people hate it. Not you. You don't hate me for knowing everything."

"You silly man." Lucy forgot her nerves and reached out to run her fingers through his hair, Cancer chattering over her shoulder about how soft it was. "You don't know everything. You know a lot, but not everything. You just notice things most people don't. That's a gift."

"Not really…" He sounded sleepy, leaning into her touch as he spoke slowly. "It's a curse. Nobody wants someone to know what I do. They leave to keep their secrets. You'll leave too. When I figure out who you're listening to... you'll leave…" 

Lucy wasn't sure what to say to that. Thankfully Cobra fell asleep so she didn't have to respond. He knew she was 'hearing' things. She wasn't sure whether she was relieved that she didn't have to hide it or afraid of what could happened next. She might even be both at once.

She stayed by his side for a long time, cleaning herself up some while he slept. She stroked his hair and whispered softly to the nurse when she came by. When Cobra woke Lucy left the room while the nurse took care of him. She took the time to get herself some coffee, not willing to go to the cafeteria for food since she still wasn't actually clean. 

When she returned there was a rather interesting individual sitting outside Cobra's room. They had both black and white hair, very gothic looking make up, bold colored clothes and...was that a boa? Lucy's first thought was 'Cruela Diva'. Lucy would have ignored them if her blue bag hadn't been sitting next to them. It was definitely hers. No other blue bag had gold stars and pink hearts bedazzling the strap like that. Laxus shouldn't have been by yet. His shift ended at eight.

"Um...excuse me?" She held her hand towards the bag. "Did you see where this came from?" The person blinked tired red eyes at her. 

"You must be Lucy. Laxus handed it off to me since he knew I would come straight here. The nurse is still in there." He, she was pretty sure the person was male now, waved a hand towards Cobra's door. Lucy's splinters were chattering loudly about who this person could be. Capricorn offered the name 'Beth' as the only male person Cobra had mentioned being close to. Since the man worked dispatch it made sense for Laxus to know him in some capacity.

"You must be Beth." She smiled brightly and the man huffed. 

"Cobra gave you that name. My name is Macbeth." He eyed her suspiciously. "Only my close friends call me Beth." Lucy place a hand on her chest. 

"Forgive me. I didn't mean to offend."

"You didn't. ...as long as you don't turn into a bitch about it." Lucy snorted and picked up her bag. 

"I'm not a female version of my cousin. You could call yourself 'Sexy Mama Vajayjay' and I still wouldn't mock you." She was tired. Sue her. It had been a long day. Macbeth's eyes widened and he stared at her for a moment before laughing out loud.

"I see why the asshole likes you." The nurse came out of Cobra's room, smiling at the pair of them. Macbeth stood slowly and turned towards the room, Lucy following him. "I'm glad he found a friend who isn't crazy." Ouch. Considering Lucy was actively ignoring Aquarius critique the man's clothes she wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not.

Cobra was proped up on pillows when they entered. He smirked at them faintly, letting his eye fall closed. "I told you that I was fine, Beth. You didn't have to come." Lucy could see the strain around his good eye from his visit with the nurse.

"Had to make sure you weren't torturing the poor nurse who got stuck with you." Macbeth sank into a chair with a sigh. 

"Sure you didn't come to laugh at me being strapped to a bed?" Lucy huffed and moved to the other side of the bed, running a hand through his hair before she set her bag down.

"You aren't strapped, you're resting and it's for your own good. He's been fine, Macbeth. Too stoned to be mean really." She started rummaging through her bag. 

"If glitter comes out of that fucking bag I'll poison your next smoothie."

"Don't be silly. Glitter is dangerous in a hospital." Lucy smirked and draped her clothes over her arm, toiletry bag in her hand. "You have enough accessories already." He made a small noise, eye cracking open. 

"Pet me gain before you leave?" Lucy rolled her eyes and pet his hair. Macbeth snickered. 

"Morphine?"

"Yeeaah." Cobra sighed happily, slowly relaxing again as Lucy played in his hair.

"That stuff always makes him loopy. He'd be mortified if he wasn't doped." Macbeth grinned, seeming to relish Cobra's current state of awareness.

"I'm sure he would. It's cute though."

"I'm not cute."

"Of course you aren't." Lucy knew she sounded patronizing, because he really was cute. "Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to get the Cobra Universe off of me." She heard Macbeth snickering at Cobra's protesting whine as she closed the bathroom door behind her.

By the time Cobra was released from the hospital Lucy was on close enough terms with Macbeth to be granted the honor of shortening his name. She had also met Sorano, the 'bitch' Cobra had called Angel the day Lucy met him. Laxus was horrified at how well the four of them got along, mostly because they would gang up on him any time he was around. He set himself up for it though so it was his own fault.

Cobra either didn't remember 'tripping' on high doses of morphine or he just refused to acknowledge that it had ever happened. The only part that was brought up again was the fact that he really did expect Lucy to be his seeing eye depth perception dog. When the Aquarius side of her sparked at that idea Macbeth had pulled her aside and gently told her that that was just Cobra's way of pulling her into his life. Trusting her like that was his version of stating that they were now very close friends. So it looked like she was stuck with him. She didn't really mind that idea. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes there will be more. How much more I'm not sure yet.


	4. Port

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More Detectives without actual detecting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two days late. Once I finish these I'll reorganize them.

Lucy ended up being the one to take Cobra home from the hospital. Everyone else was busy and Cobra definitely couldn't drive with one eye while on strong painkillers. Cobra kept his good eye closed on the ride, and looked a bit green by the time Lucy parked. Lucy was extremely glad she hovered on the way inside, because otherwise Cobra would have face-planted tripping over the curb. A furious looking pinkette met them at the door, glaring daggers at Cobra and Lucy both.

"If you think gouging out your eye is a good excuse for rent being late you have another thing coming, brat!"

"Can it, you cockeyed old crone. Isn't like I did it on purpose." Cobra's body listed slightly and Lucy set a hand against his back to steady him. He took a sharp breath and blinked at the old woman. "I'll get it to you. Lucy will make sure I write a check before she leaves." He headed for the stairs and Lucy rolled her eyes at him as she followed. 

"She'd better. And you'd better heal up snappy. Heartfilia has better things to do than play nursemaid to a snake like you!" The woman slammed her door shut as they started up the stairs. 

Lucy was halfway up the stairs before she realized the woman knew her last name. She blamed Cobra and shrugged it off. Once the door was unlocked and they had kicked the pile of mail out of the way, Cobra sank down onto his almost toxic colored green leather couch with a sigh, as if his legs wouldn't hold him up anymore. He lay down and draped an arm over his head and Lucy slowly turned to investigate the...eclectic room. 

Sitting in the middle of the room was a glass coffee table perched on a pair of skeletons, one of which was strangling the other. On that rested several old books, a potted bleeding heart plant, a skull shaped crystal decanter set filled with what looked like port or red wine, and a curved dagger she hoped was ornamental. Strangely enough the gruesome humor seemed mostly contained to just that coffee table. 

The end table between the green couch and the purple wingback chair was glass-topped as well, but the amethyst crystals and metal of the base formed an elegant dragon sitting under a tree. A dragonic themed geode that she was sure was an incense burner rested under the leaves of a purple snapdragon plant. On the wall over the well used chair hung the most unique violin Lucy had ever seen, purple with a dragon's head carved in relief at the top. She wondered if he actually played.

On the other side of the purple chair was a small chest of drawers that seemed to be surfaced in real snakeskin. There was a tobacco pipe that looked like it was hand carved wood, shaped like a Cobra coiled around a black skull. Two snakeskin bound books sat under the snake-in-a-tree lamp. Lucy suspected one was actually a box. There was also another potted plant, one Lucy didn't recognize but suspected had a snake related name.

Bookshelves filled with both books and nicknacks such as dragon egg bookends and a jar filled with shedded snake skins bracketed the fireplace and the large, possibly abused, corkboard on the opposite wall. Plants hung from both the ceiling and the walls. None of the furniture matched. Facing the tufted green leather couch was a dramatic, high-backed baroque chair with gold painted wood and red velvet upholstery. A...furry white ball that looked like it might be a stool sat between the drama chair and the doorway to the rest of the house. Then there was the purple leather wingback that was quite plainly Cobra's Chair. 

A second glance around the room had her snickering. He had theme and color coded the room and had chairs that were obviously chosen specifically for his two closest friends. She could see them now, sipping port from the skull shaped glasses. Macbeth would slump into that red chair like a spoiled prince and Sorano would perch on her cloud like a prissy little angel. Islands of their own independence in this reptilian devil's den.

Lucy's eyes returned to Cobra when he shifted to rub at his temples. He had stress lines between his eyes and she moved to his side, kneeling and reaching out to let her fingers sink into his hair. His brain had yet to accept the fact that he only had one eye and he got nasty headaches. They'd discovered during his morphine induced 'pet me' episodes that a gentle scalp massage did wonders for him. Lucy smiled when he sighed, arms relaxing as she rubbed the pain away. 

"I may keep you around if you keep that up." He cracked open his eye and smirked at her.

"You keep giving me jobs you'll have to pay me." She smiled softly at him and let her fingers rub circles behind his ears. "I don't mind though. It isn't like I have an actual job or anything."

"You could get one!" Aquarius was draped in Macbeth's chair. "Get back to work, you lazy brat."

"Now now." Capricorn was sitting in Cobra's chair, sipping from a magically produced fifth port glass. "Lady Lucy has been working hard in an attempt to at least recover her pre-incident level of fitness. She could do better, but it's satisfactory for now." Lucy tried to ignore them both and not let her eye twitch in irritation. 

"Eh. I'll get back on my feet pretty quick. You don't have to stick around." Cobra huffed at her, sitting up and pulling away from her hands. "Fuck. I need to water the plants. Oh shit! Cu!" He scrambled through his house, bumping into things. "I'm so sorry baby. Daddy should have sent Uncle Beth to check on you."

Lucy was so astounded by the cooing voice coming from Cobra that she followed him into the next room uninvited. There was a huge aquarium in his dining room. Or... terrarium? Something. There were live plants, small trees, and artfully placed 'ruins' behind the glass. The creature Cobra was crooning at was a snake. At first she thought it was black, but as she watched Cobra pour water into it's bowl she realized that it was actually a very dark purple. 

"That's my beautiful girl. I'll thaw you an extra pinkie. What...Day of the week is it?" He seemed to think on that unsuccessfully before he looked at Lucy, almost bashfully. 

"Friday." She smiled and crouched to study the snake. "She's beautiful. I've never seen a snake this color before."

"Cubelios is an amblyodipsas. A Joyan purple-glossed snake." Cobra chattered as he headed for the kitchen and dug around in his freezer. "Technically she is an asp." That meant precious little to Lucy. She was pretty sure asps were poisonous though. Cobra came back and set a glass bowl on the table with some tiny pink lumps in it. "She's safe though."

"Oh. What's that?" Aries leaned over the bowl and blinked a couple times. Then she screamed and ran out of the apartment. "Mice! Baby mice!" Leo snickered at her. 

"It's not like you'd keep a dangerous snake as a pet." Lucy grinned up at Cobra, who looked guilty. "...anymore?"

"Yeah. Lesson learned." Gemini thought that was hilarious.

Lucy stayed to help Cobra catch up just a little from his time in the hospital, dropping off his rent check with his landlady when she left. She came back the next day after her morning walk, then the next, and the next. She found herself roped into being his taxi when a case he deemed 'interesting' came through his mail slot. Double homicide with no clear motive. She had a blast and was fairly convinced she had also been helpful. 

Lucy gradually grew to understand how his mind worked, the leaps in logic he was able to accurately make with the tiniest of clues. She began to fill notebooks with the stories he told her and with cases he dragged her on. When he was finally called by the Magnolia City Police for a case consultation Laxus made a series of dramatically pained noises when she showed up at Cobra's side. She had loved it. 

Evenings with Cobra, Beth, and Angel, sipping port and discussing how twisted humans were and were not, became normal for her. After one afternoon of Cobra feeling strained landed his head in her lap while she massaged away his headache and read his case notes aloud to him that became a common occurrence too. The first time Beth saw him hand her a pile of disorganized papers and put his head in her lap he had choked on his port so badly Lucy almost got up to check on his chances for survival. Angel laughed at them all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes. There will be more.


	5. Mosaic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cobra's assessment of Lucy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This prompt is a day early. Oh well. You get CoLu.

She was a pretty picture. He'd always acknowledged that. Even the first time he saw her. A weak little child with her rosy, sparkly, love and rainbows view of life. Still...she was pretty to look at. Like a fawn dancing in a meadow...right before a mountain lion disembowels it.

Then the fawn had startled him by baring sharp fangs. The picture had gained a thrilling edge to it, red poppies sprouting at the feet of the lovely little creature. She was still just a pretty picture, not worth any more attention than a dragon would give to a simple appetizer or one more framed painting by some starving, nameless artist. Interesting enough to notice and nothing more.

Time came and went, adding even more ragged edges to who he was. The fawn in the pretty picture died and the memory of her sunlit hair faded from memory. The cold, lonely darkness crept into his heart, eating at his mind and corroding his very soul until his eyes couldn't find any beauty in the world anymore. 

Then the sunlight returned, bold and bright. She burned like fire, the glowing red and gold of molten glass pulled straight from the furnace. Left so long in the dark the intensity of her light pained him. He wanted her destroyed. To drown her in the cold, lonely darkness. To see her shatter into tiny slivers of ice and melt away forever.

As the cage that would snuff out her light sucked her in she seemed to blossom. Pale yellow and green petals unfurling to reveal bright reds and deep, dark browns at her core. He watched her stretch out, tendrils of life reaching for something outside of herself. He had dismissed her as a delicate flower soon to be stepped on and lost in chaos...till those seemingly frail tendrils wrapped around what they were hunting and began to tighten. 

The scream of rage he heard was lovely. Suddenly the tender little fawn was the fierce mountain lion he had expected to devour her. She was beautiful and golden as she sank her claws into her prey and began to rip it apart. The heat of her passion gave the pretty picture he had seen her as a depth and a sharpness that he found tantalizing. Too soon the image was gone, leaving behind an itch and a restlessness that he carefully contained for future use. She was beyond his reach for the time being. 

When he returned to the darkness it didn't seem quite as deep to him anymore. He could almost see the light still, hope glinting like a sharp blade in his mind. He crouched, ready and waiting, eyes on the prize he now wanted to taste. She was an itch that he now knew she had the claws to scratch. 

His chance came. The glorious violence of the past visited itself upon the diamond encrusted cess pool of humanity. He reveled in the fight he was granted, enjoying the music around him, basking in the twisting starlight dancing with the fires around him. Then he saw her, glorious wings spread as she fought against time itself. This was no beguiling painting of a forest cat. This was a masterpiece, a glistening gold wyvern, strong and fierce. A work of art worth claiming and hording away from the world. As he sank back into the darkness he gathered his wits in the silence, determined to fight his way back to that light.

His hunt began just in time for that beautiful work of art to shatter. He could hear it, see it. A million shards, just like he had once hoped for. He could feel each sharp edge drag over his skin, leaving behind a kind of pain he had never felt. He didn't understand. She was just a pretty thing he wanted. It shouldn't have hurt. Anger made sense at a play thing breaking, but it shouldn't hurt.

He drifted on the wind for a while after that, learning and growing in the sunlight. He felt lost for a long time. No chains or bars to hold him back, just a yappy sheepdog at his heels and pushing him to keep moving despite his lack of a personal goal. Eventually he was able to stretch his wings and enjoy the warmth and the beauty that his freedom let him find. 

Then he heard it again, that scream of righteous rage. It was deeper this time, stronger and more powerful. It sent a shiver down his spine. She was back. She had picked herself up piece by piece and was more beautiful than she had ever been. The sharp, cutting edges of her broken places had been softened with the light she used to glue herself together. She glistened, starlight catching on the facets of the shards she now wore as gemstone scales. A perfect mosaic, a golden dragoness from the stars.

He knew in that moment that he would never be able to claim her as a posession, a toy for his own pleasure. He would be lucky if she ever considered letting him walk beside her as an equal. That didn't mean he gave up. Far from it, every time he found another facet of her his desire for her grew and deepened. 

Now, years later, he could barely remember the fool he had been when he first saw her. Curled around her in the depth of night, his fingers playing with the press of a tiny foot that would soon refuse to stay safe in the dark, he couldn't fathom caring for her more or seeing her grow more beautiful. He knew he would, that she would take them so much farther than he could dream. History would remember the glorious work of art that she was, but only he would be able to trace the chipped edges that made her perfect. 


	6. Weight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy starts stress eating

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do to...life and my own twisted mind I'm going to post this week.... Out. Of. Order. Don't judge me! You get more CoLu sooner this way!
> 
> Day 6. Weight...on day 2.

Three weeks Crime Sorciere been gone. A whole eight days since Erik's last message. "A month, tops" Jellal had said when they left. The lack of messages could mean anything. Maybe Cobra was deep undercover. Maybe his lacrima broke. Maybe he had to go radio silent because he was hunting something dangerous. Maybe they were in one of those odd pockets that didn't get com signal, or underground. 

Technically the month of restless nights hadn't passed yet. Lucy had more than a full week left till she had cause for real worry. Lucy was still worried. Anxious and restless. She wasn't sleeping properly or able to focus. And now she was stress eating. This was her second bag of chips today...and it wasn't even noon!

"Miraaaa. Can I have another smoothie? And...can you add some fresh baby spinach?" Spinach worked with strawberries and was healthy, right? It made her feel less guilty about the empty bag of chips. And it sounded good. 

"Lucy...are you feeling okay?" Mira's hands worked to make the smoothie without looking away from Lucy.

"I'm fine." Lucy wilted a little. "I'm just...nervous. Maybe it's the weather."

"Oh. That makes sense." Mira glanced out the window, then arched a questioning brow at Laxus and Juvia in turn, who both shrugged. There was no weather. Unless 'slightly cloudy with the chance of a nice spring breeze' was mood and appetite affecting weather. 

Lucy grinned at her green colored strawberry shake as it was handed to her. A soft moan left her at the first sip. "Perfect." Maybe. It needed... something. Something she would think about before ordering the next one. She was going to get fat if she kept eating like this. In fact… Lucy placed a hand on her belly and internally cringed. She was already putting on weight. This stress was making her fat. 

Chocolate. That's what this shake needed. Chocolate would make her feel better and satisfy her nervous munchies. Lucy made a low sound, leaning over the bar and stealing Mira's mini chocolate chips when the bar maid was turned away to serve someone else. She tossed some in her shake, mixed it, and took another sip. Yes. Perfect. 

Lucy closed her eyes and hummed happily as she drank her nerve soothing concoction. She didn't notice the worried looks her friends gave each other or Mira mouthing for Jet to 'go find Wendy'. She ignored Natsu sniffing at her, simply raising one hand to shove blindly at his face. She was too used to him being him, and nosy dragon slayers in general. 

"Luce...what are you eating?"

"Nummies." She glared at him. "It's soothing. Shoo." Natsu inched away carefully, not willing to upset her today. He still didn't feel recovered from yesterday and her reaction to his observing the number of spice cookies she had stolen from poor Bickslow. 

"Sorano I swear on my Starlight Hellebore I'll poison you so bad you don't leave the bathroom for a fucking week if you don't stop whining! It's one skirt! Replace the damn thing! Slaughter another innocent goose and shove it's head up your ass. That'll look just as good." Lucy perked up and turned towards the door.

"You beast!" The scream heralded Sorano flying through the doors. Erik ha obviously dodged her attack, because she tried to turn around and throw herself back through the doors. Lucy was up and running for the door as it opened, Erik snickering as he dodged Sorano again. Midnight caught the infuriated celestial and Erik grinned, catching the happy one that threw herself at him. 

"Erik! I missed you. So much." She clung to his neck, muscles relaxing as she felt his purr rumble through her body. "I worried."

"No need, Starshine. I'll always come home." He nuzzled her neck and growled. "You smell amazing."

"I smell like food. I've been stress eating."

"Sorry. Lacrima had a meeting with a lake monster."

"Oh shit." She pulled away and began patting her mate down. "You're okay? Injured? Do we need Wendy?" 

"Stop that. I'm fine." He set her on a table and nuzzled back into her neck with a happy sigh. Lucy held him ad stroked his hair for a while, ignoring the rest of the guild welcoming back his team. Cobra cocked his head slightly and she coul feel him frown. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine. Tired, hungry, stressed. I feel better now that you're home." She kissed his head and he smiled into her neck.

"I'd imagine so." Cobra seemed excited about... something. He pulled away and grinned at Wendy when she and Jet came through the doors. Wendy beamed back at him and scurried over, hugging her kin and leaning over to nuzzle Lucy. 

Lucy felt the warming chill of Wendy's magic before the little dragoness giggled and bounced on her feet. The feeling of some knowledge just beyond her grasp was tickling Lucy's mind. Cobra an Wendy were up to something. It wouldn't be the first time, but this time Lucy was almost certain she was caught between the two. When her mate burried his face ack in her neck and she felt him shiver she grew more concerned.

"Erik…" He shook his head and purred loudly. He purred for her often, but it was rare for him to be so...openly happy and soft in public. "Nightshade...what is it?"

"Twins!" Wendy squeaked out. "One of each! It's so amazing!"

Lucy made a small sound, staring at Wendy. Twin what? Oh… Ooooohhhhh. That explained...everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a moment in time. This isn't linked to any other CoLu of mine...at this time.


	7. Frost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dragons. A midevil style AU with the dragon slayer as real dragons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story started with the picture of a girl finding a dragon covered in Frost and snow. It grew once I started writing and I now have no control.

Dragons were most often seen in the height of summer, when cattle and deer were fat and fairies and satyrs danced in forest glades. Humans often said that the heat of the summer sun stirred their blood, made them hunger for virgin flesh. The kingdoms held the Dragon King Festival for this very reason. Lots were drawn and a single female from each kingdom was offered to each of the dragons that flew in their skies. 

Some, like Midi, had only one great serpent to contend with. The blue dragon gaurded it's territory viciously, driving off the twin dragons of southern Minstrel again and again no matter how many times black and white wings flew south. Minstrel itself would have been glad to be rid of the twins or the great grey beast that flew over it's northern cliffs. Some dragons flew over multiple nations and would collect several maidens in a summer like the red dragon of the east who held Desierto, Bellum and Joya firmly in his grasp. 

The borders of draconic hunting grounds shifted from year to year as dragons grew in strength, as the young blue one did, or grew weaker as the old green dragon in Iceberg had, being replaced by younger, stronger, hungrier beasts. Iceberg had seen many dragon clashes in recent years. Gold and silver wings flying north from Bosco and Stella, yellow wings moving east from Seven. The fiery red of the desert dragon claiming icy lands in the east as it's own. 

There was a tentative peace between the orange dragon of Caelum and the purple one that flew over Fiore's fertile lands. The grey dragon of North Minstrel was too busy trying to drive the twins south to bother crossing the water. Cobra was just glad the yellow dragon was too busy bickering over the big ass lump of frozen rock instead of trying to try and take bites of eastern Fiore these days. Lunar and Solar were usually content to leave well enough alone, but The Thunder God was a pushy asshole.

The purple dragon was watching the Eastern sky from his perch, grumbling at the happy sounds coming from the forest at the foot of his current mountainous seat. Happy fairies drove him nuts, especially since he could also hear the weeping and moaning from the offering place behind him. He hated the summer solstice. Why the fuck humans thought he would rather have a skrawny girl than a fat, juicy sheep he couldn't fathom. Did they think a *dragon* would fuck their hunger away or did they expect him to actually eat a human?

No matter what he did with the so called virgin he would still be eating while the summer sun was high, storing fat for winter and dragging deer high on Mount Hakobe to freeze solid. It wasn't like they were real virgins anyway. Last year's offering had been a bar maid. Very drunk, very much not a virgin, very inedible. He would have been insulted if he actually wanted a virgin for...whatever. He'd flown her west and dropped her on Caelish sand, split a deer he had taken along with the orange dragon as a peace offering, had a draconic gossip session, then gone home. Stupid humans.

Cobra stretched his wings as the sounds behind him shifted, the sun shining through his wing membranes and gowing an almost blood red. That color had given rise to the title 'Blood Dragon' on part of the humans. That and...his tendancy to not give half a shit if humans saw him feeding or stumbled across the blood strewn grass he left behind. That... or… the old story of how he claimed this territory from the previous dragon to have held it. He hadn't waited for him to grow old and weak so the battle had been bloody.

Slitted purple eyes turned to look down at the stone alter, the offering place. He growled in irritation at having to go down there, then brought his wings down, sending himself down the mountain on a cool draft of air. The last lingering humans cried out in dismay as they ran, leaving the poor girl behind to be... presumably eaten. He landed and curled his wings around the alter, peering down at the tiny, crying bluenette. 

Leaning down he sniffed at her hair. Ink, dust, parchment. A scholarly woman then. She was trembling, but at least she wasn't sobbing out loud or screaming or begging or pissing herself. That was good. He hated when they did that. He'd had an offering several years ago, a pale girl who had screamed like he was actually eating her one limb at a time before she passed out in her own piss. He dropped her into Seven. Because fuck The Thunder God.

Cobra tilted his head slightly, corroding metal with his poison till he could grab the chains in his teeth and snap them. He carefully gathered the woman in his claws and took to the skies, flying south. A scholar belonged in Minstrel. Hopefully Black Steel wouldn't be there to try and kill him when he came off the water. 

He flew for hours, long enough the female stopped being afraid and started...talking. It was annoying. She assumed he was a beast and spoke to him as such, rambling about what she saw from the sky and what she expected would happen to her. He was tempted to simply let go as he began crossing the straight, but...he didn't kill innocent humans. Watched as they died sometimes, but never killed. He especially never harmed the 'virgins' offered to him on the solstice as a bribe to keep him from burning down villages. Not that he breathed fire...some poisons were quite combustable though.

Finally the cliffs of Minstrel were before him. He backwinged to land carefully on the grass. The girl was close enough to the nearest town to see the chimney smoke. She would be safe enough. He released her and grumbled low in his chest at the shackles she still wore. Stupid humans.

A loud, bellowing roar rose from the cliffs behind him and the purple dragon curled around the tiny human, turning and baring fangs at the large grey dragon that topped the cliffs. Black Steel's red eyes were narrowed in rage as he hovered over Cobra. The iron dragon was heavier than the poison dragon, sturdier. In the air Cobra could move faster and turn quicker, but grounded as he was put him at a clear disadvantage. 

"What the *fuck* are you doing in my lands on the solstice you twisted, cowardly excuse for a drake!? Shouldn't you be picking your teeth with infant bones?"

Cobra snarled at the words. "Shut you face you hollow tin can! Don't thrust your lack of oral hygiene onto me! Your offering fight you off before you could claim her?"

"Oh my Mavis, you speak!" Cobra wrinkled his nose at the reminder that there was a human present. Black Steel grunted and landed far enough away to be fairly safe from Cobra. The purple dragon uncurled a little, rumbling at Black Steel in warning. The grey dragon eyed the bluenette and snorted.

"You are an idiot."

"You ate yours?"

Black Steel looked away. "No." Cobra snorted and would have spoken, but the tiny female did instead. 

"Wait, if you can speak...you… Am I a dragon's bride now?" 

Cobra made a sick noise and backed away from the tiny creature. "I'd sooner fuck a goat."

"I….should I be insulted?" 

Black Steel started 'laughing'. "You should be terrified. You know we speak. What makes you think you'll live?" The tiny female squeaked. "Why is she here, Blood Dragon."

"Don't. Call me that. She is here because she smells like books and scrolls."

Black Steel made a low sound. "I'll take her. If she's actually smart I will get her closer to the college."

Cobra nodded, wings spreading. "I'll leave then."

"You do this every year? Have you been dropping little offerings on my cliffs?"

"Nah. The drunk one went to Caelum and the one that smelled like piss got closer to The Thunder God's den than I ever care to be again."

Black Steel 'laughed'. "Asshole." Whether he was talking about Cobra or Laxus the purple dragon didn't care. He jumped off the cliff, quickly gaining altitude and heading back to his own territory. 

Months passed, breeding season came with the turning of the leaves and the dragoness in Caelum rose that year. Cobra cursed his luck when The Thunder God turned his eyes west and tried to fly right the fuck over his hunting grounds to get to the willing dragoness. Letting the lightning dragon sire a clutch in Caelum would have backed Cobra into a corner that would have ended in his lands being torn from him and he knew it. Cobra came away from that fight with one wing burnt to the bone and only one functional eye in his head, but he managed to drive the lightning dragon back to Seven. 

He'd taken to his den after that. Chances were that the lightning dragon would be back. Him, Black Steel, the siblings from Bosco, even the dragoness could come after him in his weakened state. Or wings from farther away. Cobra's best chance was to stay out of sight till he healed and hope that The Thunder God was the only one who knew about his injuries.

That would have been all well and good...but recovering from that severe of an injury ate away at the fat reserves under his skin. He couldn't fly to reach his stores on Hakobe Mountain and his winter horde of poisonous plants became depleted. Eventually he was forced to hunt from the ground like a fucking coyote. The temporary loss of his wing had reduced him to the status of a scavenger. He had every intention of tearing the magic from The Thunder God's chest for that alone.

In theory...he could have used his human form and gone into a village. However there was a long list of reasons he refused to take that form. Had refused to take that form since he was little more than a fledgling. He was a dragon. He was strong. He refused to lower himself to taking on a spindly, two legged form just to beg scraps of bread. He would rather die. 

Which...it looked like he would. Prey didn't wait around for a crippled dragon to walk up to it. Being crippled made a dragon into prey. Nothing with a brain aside from another dragon would attack him even in this state, but the weather had no mind and no heart. The blizzard bore down on him when he was far from his den or any other cave that he could use for shelter. 

Cold. Cold was the reason dragons didn't attack in the winter. They were reptiles. Warmer than smaller creatures due to their size and the magic energy in their bodies, buy still reptiles. As the temperature dropped Cobra's trudge home slowed. Snow piled up around him till he found himself giving up. He sank down and curled up, waiting for the cold to steal his last breath. 

…………….

Lucy made her way out to the barn as soon as the snow slowed enough for her to see, her sheep dog Aquarius at her side and a bucket of steaming water dangling from her hand. The livestock needed fed and watered promptly. She had to sit the bucket down in the snow to dig her way into the barn and it cooled considerably. Once she got inside she poured the water on top of the frozen trough and went about tossing feed. 

"Lyra, be patient." She patted one of the milk cows. "Everybody gets a turn and I'll need to fetch more melted snow before milking." She reassured Virgo as well before moving to check on the oxen. "Taurus, Capricorn. My big boys. Sorry. Only a little. No telling how long we will be snowed in." She fed the sheep, scowling as she counted. "Great. We're missing three. Plue, Sis, and Libra." She sighed and grabbed her bucket. "Hot snow, the milking. Then we'll go see if they found shelter." 

Aquarius stayed with her as she finished the chores, reluctantly sharing the frozen eggs that had been laid during the blizzard with the barncat, Leo. Lucy took the milk inside, packed a lunch for herself, banked the fire, and set off to find her missing sheep. Leo followed her until he realized she was going to be in the snow all day. Aquarius stayed at her side since the dog's loyalty wasn't fickle like the cat's.

They found Sis first. The black sheep had crammed herself into a little hollow place, but hadn't been deep enough to stay warm. She had served as a barrier keeping the hole warm enough that Libra had survived. The ewe was cold, but alive, and Lucy was sure she would recover with only minimal frostbite. She tied a rope lead to the sheep's halter and handed it to her dog. "Take her home, Aquarius. Sheep Home." 

The dog had reluctantly dragged the even more reluctant sheep back towards the farm. Lucy strung the carcass of her dead sheep in a tree. Waste not want not. She would come back after she finished looking for Plue.

Lucy kept walking, trying to find the places she knew her sheep favored even through the disguise of snow. Everything looked different with the huge snow drifts. Details and landmarks were missing and smoothed over. That was why she didn't realize that the hill she was on wasn't a hill until she fell into it. Literally. One minute she was on the top of the little hill trying to get a better view, the next she was falling straight down through a hole. 

Lucy stayed on the frozen earth for a while, looking up at the tree branches criss crossing overhead and the heavy blanket of snow they held. It was odd, the way the light passed through the snow made everything look...a dark, warm purple. She blinked a few more times before she admitted to herself that she wasn't looking at tree branches, but at a red and purple...something stretched between arched supports. It looked torn and almost burnt in places, one of which she had fallen through. 

A slow sound somewhere between a whoosh and a thump had her turning slowly to look at the 'walls' of the cave. Shimmering purple stone and satiny expanses of dark red and green surrounded her. The air swirled in the cave, sweet and tangy. A mystical cave in the middle of winter...that smelled like flowers. 

The sound came again, from the wall. She stared for a long time before her conscious brain finally told her the wall was moving. Very slowly coming towards her before retreating. The sound again. Shwaloomp, from inside the moving wall. Lucy paled as she realized she was hearing a very slow, very large heartbeat and seeing the respirations of enormous lungs. She was *inside* a giant...purple people eater. 

*Calm down Lucy. It doesn't seem to have noticed you yet.* Her eyes searched the cave for a mouth, teeth, digestive fluids, a way out, anything. The ground was still ground so she wasn't in a stomache at least. She found a few 'cracks' in the walls that were blocked with snow but no exit she could run out of. Then she studied the cave again and realized that the roof was a wing, a damaged one stretched overhead almost like an umbrella. That meant the wall was a body...with glimmering purple scales covering a soft red hide with a faint green brindle pattern on it. If she wasn't convinced she was about to die she would think it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

That was when she found the nostril, almost large enough for her to crawl into. From there she found the tip of an enormous fang. Mouth located. The smooth curve of an eyelid. Eyes to hide from. 

She stayed perfectly still for a while, studying the creature, the dragon, and trying to figure out several things. One of which was what the fuck it was doing here, another of which was what was wrong with the whole picture. Something had her brain clawing at her, wanting something she wasn't quite able to grasp. 

She heard that heartbeat again and the thought struck her hard enough that she sucked in an audible breath. It had been here, already injured, through the whole of the blizzard. The dragon was dying. She studied the great beast closer and realized that he was too thin. Not that she had ever seen a healthy dragon up close, but she knew animals and this one had been nearly starved. 

She had mixed feelings about that. For starters...if she was correct this was the Blood Dragon. He had eaten people she knew. On the other hand animals ran on instinct and *humans* had been the ones to offer those people to the dragon. She had never heard any first hand accounts of this dragon attacking human settlements. 

Lucy groaned quietly as her heart overruled her brain. She moved to the edge of the dragon's wing, digging the snow away. It took her several minutes to create a tunnel large enough to escape from. The next thirty minute were spend gathering wood and dragging it back down into the wing-made cave. She managed to get a fire started, building it up as large as she felt safe and adding green wood in hopes that it would still be there when she got back. 

By the time she and Aquarius dragged the loaded sled back to the dragon she was entirely convinced she was stark raving mad. "I know it's stupid, Aquarius, but I can't just let him die. That's the same as killing him and you know how I feel about killing." She paused and studied the dragon hill in case he had moved. "You don't have to come with me. If I get eaten that's my choice." 

She took another deep breath, unhitching Aquarius from the sled and dragging her first load down the snow tunnel. The dragon hadn't moved. His heartbeat did seem noticably faster though. The fire was low, but still burning so she was able to simply add some of the split logs she had brought with her. She set up her soup kettle, and the smaller one for heating water, though right now it was filled with milk, then stared at the dragon. 

"I feel really stupid right now. Like...feeding you with a baby spoon. You're huge. How is this supposed to work?" The inefficiency facing her was laughable, but she was doing it anyway. She tossed snow into the soup pot before crawling out of the cave to finish unloading the sled. 

Aquarius grumbled as dogs do, and refused to come into the dragon cave, because she wasn't a fucking moron like her mistress. "Oh, hush you. He's a living thing same as you or Leo or Virgo." Lucy grunted a she began dragging the frozen sheep carcass towards the tunnel. "It's not like...I'm feeding him friends that are alive. Sis is already meat." It was practical. Aquarius sneezed at her, clearly disagreeing.

Lucy hacked chunks off of the sheep, doing her best to clean it as she went and save the hide. She set a few peices on the spit, tossing the rest into the soup pot with the melted snow. She pulled the pack from her back and unrolled the blankets, taking the seasonings and vegetables out that she had brought from her kitchen. She hummed softly as she worked on the soup. 

"I don't understand why you're down here in the valley. I've seen you flying overhead a couple times, but I've never seen you land. Not much here for you to...hunt? I mean we have a few deer, but mostly rabbits. I can only imagine how many rabbits it would take to feed you. I guess...you could have been after my livestock...but in that case I would have thought you'd hit the farm before now."

She picked up the warm milk and took a deep breath for courage before moving to the dragon. "Please… don't bite off my arm. If you're going to eat me I prefer you take my head first so I die quickly." 

She moved closer, using her elbow to pry the corner of the dragon's mouth open. She used her soup ladle to spoon warm milk into the dragon's mouth slowly, smiling brightly when she finally heard him swallow. It was actually a little scary because she was right there and he was huge, but it was also a good sign. 

"There we go. Feels good, doesn't it?" She kept slowly feeding him. "You know...I feel like you need a name. I can't keep calling you 'dragon'. It's...degrading for us both. Draco is too genaric for a dragon. Did you know you smell like flowers? I mean...there is an underlying smell that I guess is 'dragon' but you smell sweet like flowers. I could call you...Clematis is too femanine. You could be a girl, but I'm pretty sure you aren't. What about… Lark? That's pretty gender neutral. I have some larkspurs in my garden that are almost the same color as your scales. They normally run more blue, but my mother bred these special."

Lucy kept talking while she spoon fed the dragon, then moved back to the fire to stir the stew and turn the roasting meat. She hummed a tune as she worked, smirking when Aquarius finally crawled inside the 'cave'. "I think this broth is about ready. Can't give you solids while you can't chew." She scooped broth into the empty milk container, then added rice to the stew to give it more substance. "Though I doubt you'd have to chew even these big chunks considering the size of your throat. Still. Better safe than...sorry." 

She froze as she turned back to the dragon and found his enormous eye cracked open. Slitted pupil in a well of intense purple that almost glowed. He seemed to be watching her so she slowly held up the pot. "Um...mutton broth. It's good. It should help you feel better." Lark made a small sound that sounded very insulting to Lucy, then his eye slid closed again. Lucy rolled her eyes. "That's rude." She went ahead and moved to her previous post, placing a hand on Lark's head. "I made this myself and raised the ewe it's made from so be nice." His next exhale sounded scoffing. "Fine, I'll prove it." 

She gently opened the corner of his mouth again and ladled broth between his huge fangs onto his tongue. Several ladled 'bites' later the dragon made a soft growling sound before swallowing. Lucy looked up to find his eye on her again and smiled brightly. "Told you it was good. I know it isn't much for a big guy like you, but it should help a little." 

The dragon seemed to ripple before a foreleg stretched out from under him toward the fire. Aquarius growled and started barking and Lucy was fairly convinced that the sound that came from the dragon was a snicker. "Aquarius, be nice. Lark is cold and the fire is mostly for him anyway. If he wanted to eat me he would have done it already when I was practically in his mouth." Another low sound from the dragon, though this one sounded thoughtful. Aquarius settled down and Lucy returned to feeding the dragon. 

"The blizzard got Sis. Don't think this is an invitation to eat all of my sheep. I need them. Bad enough I lost this one. ... probably lost her twin too. I haven't found Plue and he should have been with the other two." She leaned back to better look the dragon in the eye. "Unless you ate him before the blizzard got you." She arched a brow in question and was surprised to see the purple eye roll. "Okay then. If the blizzard got him I don't mind sharing. Just don't go after my living sheep." She was quiet as she finished feeding the broth to the dragon. 

When she moved back to the fire the dragon's head followed her. It was very unnerving and set off Aquarius again as well as what sounded like a small avalanche outside. Lark just seemed to be getting closer to the heat of the fire though so Lucy relaxed. She stirred the stew, then pulled the roasted meat chunks off their sticks to cool. She smiled up at the dragon. 

"You ready for something more solid? I didn't want you to choke while you weren't conscious." Lark blinked slowly before opening his mouth slightly and eyeing the cooked meat. Lucy grinned and tossed the pieces into his mouth with one hand while eating her own single strip with her other. He closed his mouth after a few chunks landed on his tongue and seemed to savor the taste, a soft growl coming from his huge chest. Lucy was labeling the sound 'purring' because it sure wasn't a threatening sound. Once the meat was gone Lark declined to eat any soup. His eye closed and he let out a long sigh. 

"May I…" Lucy nibbled on her lip nervously, only continuing when Lark's eye opened to look at her. "Touch you? I don't mean to be insulting or disrespectful. It's just...you're beautiful." The dragon made a small, almost strangled sound, eye widening slightly. "Yeah. Now it sounds like a really awkward que- oh." His foreleg stretched towards her and he made a low, questioning sound. 

Lucy grinned and hesitantly reached out, hand smoothing over a large talon before her fingertips traced the soft, leathery hide between purple scales. "Wow...you're skin is so soft. Like well-cured sheepskin." He snickered at her, then closed his eyes and purred very quietly as her fingers continued to trace his scales. 

They weren't one color. Instead they seemed to be various shades of purple and maroon, highlighted with bright greens at the edges. The scales on his foreleg, where a human's wrist would be, were almost blood red. The farther up his leg she went the larger and closer together his scales were till they began to overlap. 

"Your scales...I can only imagine how beautiful you would be up close in the sunlight." He purred louder and she smirked. "So many colors. The firelight doesn't do you justice." He made a sarcastically smug sound. 

"What? You like hearing it, and it's true." His purr sounded more like a growl for a moment and his eye opened to look at her. "If you were a man you'd be smirking at me right now, wouldn't you?" He snickered and she slapped at his scaled shoulder. "Ass." He made the vocal equivalent of a nonchalant shrug and she grinned before continuing her investigation of his scales. 

She found streaks of those blood red scales almost in clusters. At first she thought they were a natural pattern. Then she found some around a still healing gash and realized that they were the draconic equivalent of a scar. She actually paled as the red around his forearms suddenly meant something entirely different. Her jaw clenched and she closed her eyes for a moment before looking up and smiling at him. 

"I have some supplies at home. Could put an ointment on the wounds I can reach. It would help the skin grow back supple and fight off infection. It would help with pain too. This looks like it hurts." 

Lark narrowed his eye and growled, an actual threatening sound that sent chills up her spine and sent Aquarius into another barking fit. "I'm only trying to help. I don't...have any ulterior motives and I won't ever plan to talk about this with another soul. Ever." Slowly his foreleg lifted and he placed the tip of one claw against her neck, making a low sound. "Talk and you kill me?" He made that smirking sound. "You'll let me help if I promise to keep your secret?" He lowered his claw and closed his eyes, letting out a long sigh. 

"I'll be back after I see to the livestock and mix up a dragonload of ointment. And I'll leave Aquarius home so she doesn't have a heart attack." He snickered as she dragged Aquarius out of the 'cave'. The snow had shifted when Lark moved so the tunnel was gone and it was more of a doorway now. She took the sled with her so she could bring back more firewood. 

……………..

Several hours later Cobra heard the soft crunching of snowshoes coming closer and the soft tune the sweet little human hummed when she wasn't talking. His muscles actually relaxed when he heard her and he found himself purring. He rolled his remaining eye at himself, but he really couldn't help it. She was nice, kind, thoughtful, gentle, so...alive and warm that it drew him like a moth to a flame. He hadn't had anyone treat him like a worthwhile soul since his mother died. He'd forgotten how it felt.

"Lark? It's me, Lucy. Please don't eat me." Well...she had a name. She seemed to have forgotten that she gave him his when he wasn't quite conscious and hadn't introduced herself. It amused him. He snickered and could almost hear her rolling her eyes as she pulled her sled through the gap between his injured wing and his body. "Hey. Be nice. I wasn't sure if you were awake and didn't want you to startle thinking I was...whoever you're not wanting to know about your injuries." The whole fucking world? Yeah. She was too loud to mistake for anyone but her and he snorted at her to communicate that. 

She smiled and he felt warmth flow through him. "So. I brought more supplies. Opened up the smokehouse for you." She eyed the fire as she checked the stew and giggled. "You added wood. How did you…" she trailed of when he moved, catching a log on the tip of one talon and using his 'thumb' to slide it off into the fire. "Oh. Okay then." She turned to her sled and started unloading.

"Are you thirsty?" He couldn't stop the whine that came from his throat. Instead of looking at him with derision she smile up at him. "I brought more milk. Let me warm it for you first. You don't need cold inside as well as outside." 

He purred at her very quietly as she hung the kettle of milk by the fire. In all the decades that stretched before him he was certain he would never forget the taste of warm milk, the sound of her sweet voice as she spoke to him, her tiny hands smoothing over the scales on his jaw as he carefully drank the liquid. He had been convinced he was already dead when he woke to that little touch of heaven. 

He watched her set a pot near the fire and stir the contents. It smelled strongly of herbs and tallow and salt, making his mouth water. To most it would likely smell disgusting, but he was a poison dragon. The poison dragon. He could think of a couple things he might add to make it better, but it smelled delicious as it was. He wasn't going to tell her that though. 

"Okay. There is enough salt in here that it might burn a little. It's good for you though. Fights off infection." He didn't really have to worry about infection most of the time, poison being in his blood, but again he wasn't telling her that. "Ready?" He snorted at her and she rolled her eyes before scooping some of the ointment out with a cloth and moving to the gash his half brother had left in his side. 

It did sting at first, but after a moment he started purring as the herbs she had mixed into the ointment soaked into his skin. They dulled the pain and he could feel the stronger medicinals seeping into his blood and feeding his magic ever so slightly. She kept talking while she worked, something about family recipes and a garden and circulation. He really wasn't paying attention, just enjoying the gentle touch of her hands and the soft, musical tones of her voice. 

When she had finished with that injury she moved on to the next. Once she finished the parts of him her tiny arms could reach he shifted and nudged her towards the 'door'. "Um...out?" He looked up at his wing and whined. "Oh! It means walking on you, you know." He snorted and she smiled. "I'll be as gentle as I can. Any others I should-" He grumbled at her and snorted. "Just the wing then." 

He watched her through his wing membrane as she carefully crawled over his wing. She tried to keep her weight spread on his bones and muscles as she sought the damaged areas of his wing, brushing off the snow that the rising warmth of the fire and his slight shifting hadn't already dislodged. He didn't trust her to touch him where he couldn't see her, such as on the now blind side of his head, but he was very glad of her help. 

She was shivering when she returned. It irritated him. He waited for her to clean of her hands before shifting his weight and knocking her against his side. "Oi. What are you…" She blinked as he carefully dragged one of the blankets over her with a claw. "Are we cuddling?" He snorted at her and eyed the warm milk for a long moment before he was able to figure out how to move it close to her without spilling it. "Oh. I'm being mommed." His growl trailed off when she smiled up at him. "Thank you, Lark." She poured herself a cup of milk and relaxed against his side.

Why her behavior made him nervous he wasn't sure, but it did. He scoffed at her and looked away. He could feel her giggle at his response wrap around his heart and squeeze and he grumbled again before leaning down and nudging the milk kettle. 

"Demanding dragon." She smiled at him before scooping warm milk into his mouth. "You're not what I thought you would be." Her hand stroked his scales between drinks and he couldn't keep himself from purring. "You're gentle, smart, thoughtful, sweet." He snorted at her. "You are. Still scary of course. I mean have you seen your teeth?" He made a pleased sound and she giggled. 

"I just... can't reconcile the Lark I know with the Blood Dragon who ate my best friend." He jerked and looked down at her, his entire body tense. She gave him a sad smile. "It's okay. I know that's just the way things are. We all do. It's the way it's always been. I don't hate you for it. I do resent the men who choose to sacrifice an innocent life when there are so many other options." He grumbled and she chuckled. "You don't seem to respect humans much." He snorted. Humans, in general, were stupid. 

Lucy used his shoulder as a prop as she stood. She held a hand towards his face and he slowly lowered his head for her. She began stroking the side of his head, delicate fingers seeking out ridges and dips. He couldn't keep himself from purring when she found this one spot near the base of his crown spines. She giggled as his eye drifted closed. 

"The stew should be more than ready. You hungry?" He crooned at her and blinked when she pulled away. "I can warm up some of the smoke box meats once the soup is gone. I've got a ham, a haunch of venison and one of mutton, and the wild turkey I managed to share before winter set in." 

Cobra blinked at her, realizing that she was sharing her carefully stored winter supplies with the dragon she thought *ate her best friend*. She was insane. It was beautiful. And annoying. And he suddenly wanted to have hands so he could shake sense into her. He leaned down and snuffled her hair, purring at the sweet scent she carried with her. She reached up and patted his muzzle without looking, a motion that pleased him for some reason.

"I brought bowls this time. Means I can give you bigger bites." She served herself a bowl before scooping him a 'bite'. He growled at the rich taste, crooning and snuffling her hair again. "Thank you." She beamed up at him. "I wasn't sure if you would like the vegetables." He snorted and accepted another bite. 

"So dragons aren't actually carnivores? More... omnivorous like bears?" He hummed in agreement. "Cool. Though...I can't imagine how many blueberries make a satisfactory snack for someone your size." He nearly inhaled his bite of stew when that startled a laugh out of him. She blinked a couple times at the almost human sound, but made no comment on it, simply feeding him the bottom of the pot. "If you stay long enough I'll try to bake us some huge as fuck pies." 

He purred and set his head down, closing his eyes. He could hear Lucy moving around, smelled the meat she was warming for him. He cracked his eye open again when she got close, sighing in contentment when she curled against his side and wrapped herself in blankets. When she pulled out a notebook and began to write he crooned inquisitively. 

"This?" Lucy held up the book. "Um…" She nibbled on her lip nervously. "It's… I write stories. Sell them. This is one about a boy from Enca and how he travels the work in search of adventure." He blinked a couple times, then made a low, pleading sound. "You...want me to read it to you?" He purred and she smiled. "It's just a first draft. No judging." He snorted and then closed his eyes as she turned to the beginning of her story.

Lucy stayed with him all that night, reading her story and talking to him about the questions he was able to communicate without words. He watched her sleep in the silent hours before dawn, curled up against his side, trusting him not to harm her. When dawn broke they ate the last of the meat she had brought for him, then she had checked his injuries. 

"Wow. This gash already looks so much better. You heal really fast." He scoffed at that. He was a dagon. He healed fast. That had she had fed him, fed his magic. Of course he healed fast. She laughed and slapped at his scales. "You're just full of yourself, aren't you?" He would have smirked at her, but it would have looked threatening with all the teeth he had in his head. 

"Okay. Let's put the last of this ointment on your wing before I go do morning chores." Cobra shifted a little, then sniffled her hair and nudged her out into the cold. She kept talking as she cared for his slowly regrowing wing membrane. He closed his eyes and sighed, enjoying these last few moments of feeling so...protected. Which was ridiculous because he was a dragon and she was a tiny little human girl. 

"I'll be back!" She grinned at him as she tied the soup kettle to the sled. He knew she would and he was tempted to wait for her, but he knew he couldn't. He waited until he couldn't hear her anymore before standing with a groan and shaking the last of the snow from his hide. He flexed each limb slowly before he carefully scooped snow onto the fire. 

Cobra turned his head and studied himself before tearing a scale from his side. It hurt. A lot. He almost regretted making the decision to leave it behind, but it was too late now so he didn't. He washed the blood off the scale and dropped it on the bedroll Lucy had been using. Maybe it was payment, maybe it was thanks and just maybe...it was something to remember him by. He looked down at the little campsite she had built under the shelter of his broken wing and sighed before turning and walking away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes. There is more. Lol.


	8. Imposter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> CoLu week 2020 Day 8 
> 
> Imposter is a continuation of the Frost prompt from earlier in the 'week'. This is the second part of a 2 part AU story where the dragon slayers are actual dragons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know. It's been forever. I'm a bad girl. I'll find someone to spank me when I'm less busy. Good news is… I'M ALIVE AND SO IS MY MUSE! If you're wondering then please be comforted to know that I haven't abandoned my stories or my readers. The Freedom prompt and completion of the Sherlock and Watson AU is in progress.

Lucy kept the beautiful, wine colored scale next to her bed. She had been insulted at first, thinking the dragon was attempting to buy her off. Then she had realized that there were traces of blood on it and the true nature of the gift Lark had left her. He was an asshole, but he was a sweet asshole. Now she cradled it close and traced the fine, spring green lines that lay like lace along the edge of the scale as she fell asleep at night. 

Days came and went. Plue showed back up one night, the sheep terrified out of his mind of... everything. She was convinced he would never be the same. She couldn't swear for certain, but she was also convinced Aquarius was suffering from some sort of PTSD due to dragon exposure that caused her to hallucinate extra things to bark at. Spring creeping over the world and waking small creatures from winter slumber did not help.

It was one of those days, the days when Aquarius barked at shadows. Leo was...cat spazzing all over the barn, either due to mice or Aquarius's incessant noise. Lucy had just finished the chores and was carrying the milk inside for breakfast. Aquarius fell silent just as Plue screamed in terror and took off, crashing into the fence that protected her garden and knocking himself out.

"Oh for the love of Mavis!" She set her milk inside and went to check on the sheep. "Is this going to be one of those years, guys? I swear if I find Capricorn in the hay loft again this year I will absolutely eat several of you and replace you with rabbits!" She knelt next to the sheep and looked him over. "Well...you seem fine."

"Something wrong with your sheep?" Her head jerked up and she blinked at the man in front of her. Long and lean with caramel skin and dark red hair. He was smirking down at her, the expression contradicting the concern in his single dark eye. 

"Uh...he has an anxiety disorder. I think he'll be fine." Her eyes traced the long scar on his face before she blinked and arched a brow. "Need something stranger?"

"Cobra." Uhhh… "My name. I heard the animals and thought there might be some sort of trouble. Sorry if I startled you." Lucy looked around only to find Aquarius sitting on the front porch watching them. 

"We're fine. My dog is a nervous nutcase and the sheep...he hasn't been the same since getting lost in that big blizzard a couple months ago."

The man grunted softly, nodding. "Hell of a thing. Hit so hard so fast a lot of people got caught in it."

Lucy sighed. "Don't I know it." She thought about Lark and shook the memory off, smiling at Cobra. Who names their kid Cobra? "I lost this one's twin to the snow." She kept stroking Plue's ears as she talked. "Made game scarce this year too."

The man snorted. "Scarce. One word for it."

Lucy arched a brow. "You have a better word?"

"Insufficient as fuck."

Lucy couldn't help but laugh. "Rely on game in the winter do you?"

Cobra shrugged, tipping his head and smirking at her. "Normally live on what nature gives me. After the storm I had to move into the city to stay fed. It sucked."

Lucy nodded. "Had to rely on the local village myself. Didn't expect winter to hit me as hard as it did." 

The man grunted, looking around her little farm. "No offense, ma'am...but looks like you could use a hand around here."

Lucy huffed. "I know. It's a shambles. Everything works though. I'm just...not a handyman kind of person. My last hired hand...well. Let's just say he didn't believe in quality work."

The man...growled. For real. Maybe it could be classified as a grumble or a grunt, but it was a growl. "Look...you don't know me, but… I'd be willing to help you out for a while. Just for a few home cooked meals and space in the barn to sleep. Forest isn't ready to give yet, but I couldn't stay in town one more day."

Lucy narrowed her eyes, studying the man. In her experience people only made offers like that if they expected to get something out of it. "I have nothing worth stealing, no money worth mentioning, and Aquarius and I have dealt with men coming after me before. They were never heard from again."

The man went from looking disappointed, to insulted, to angry. "Men are bastards!" When her eyes dropped to his crotch and she arched a brow he laughed. "Point taken." He crouched in front of her and held out his hand. "On my honor, I never have, and never will harm an innocent female nor would I ever force myself on one."

Lucy looked into his eye for a long moment before reaching out and waking his hand. "I believe you. Deal. There is a room in the barn loft you can have. You eat breakfast today?"

Cobra snorted and shook his head. "Nah. Woman who ran the place I was staying had herself a roll with the milkman while she was cooking this morning."

Lucy made a gagging sound. "Grooooossss. Tell you what. Take Plue into the barn and get to know the animals while I fix breakfast. Pancakes alright?" 

Cobra nodded, scooping Plue up like he was a ten pound lamb instead of a two-hundred fifty pound wether. Lucy mentally drooled and was also jealous. She wasn't sure if she was jealous of Cobra's ability to hoist the sheep or the sheep itself. When the man turned away Lucy shook herself and headed for the house. 

Aquarius was growling and she gently shushed the dog. "Leave it. He is allowed into the barn." The dog flopped down onto her belly and whined.

Lucy whipped up a double man sized batch of pancakes just in case, then carried them out to the porch. She wasn't quite ready to let a strange man into her house. That would be phenomenally stupid. She cocked her head and watched Cobra and Leo stare at each other as if the one eyed man and the tomcat were having some deep conversation. 

"Well, Aquarius? What do you think?" The dog sneezed. "I have to agree with you." She raised her voice so it would carry to the barn where her new 'hired hand' was. "Pancakes are ready!" Cobra's head jerked up and he grinned at her. Lucy felt flustered enough that she practically ran back into the house, taking three deep breaths before gathering her jams and syrups. When she returned she found Cobra crouched in front of Aquarius, murmuring softly while the dog glared at him. "Please don't be offended. She doesn't like men."

Cobra looked up and shrugged. " It's fine. I don't either so I can't blame her."

Lucy giggled as she plated a hefty stack of pancakes. "I've got maple syrup, peach preserves, strawberry jam, gooseberry jelly, and blueberry syrup."

Cobra made a low sound and smirked. "Blueberries, huh? That sounds good." She felt like she was missing some private joke but set the feeling aside, pouring purple syrup over the fluffy pancakes and handing them to him.

"So, _Cobra_. Where are your usual stomping grounds?" She slathered strawberry jam on her pancakes, then stared at the man when he moaned around a bite of his own pancakes. "Umm..when...when the weather isn't disturbing nature's natural balance." She focused on her own food so she could ignore his enjoyment of his. 

"Mountains." More sexy, er... inappropriate noises of enjoyment. "I enjoy the peace up there. The quiet. Fresh air and clear skies. Fuck these are good." She was never making this man pancakes again. They were wrecking her ability to focus.

"Th-thank you. The berries are wild and the butter, milk, and eggs came from the animals I keep."

Cobra smiled faintly. "They love you. You take good care of them. It's nice to see."

Lucy smiled brightly. "They are my family."

Cobra cocked his head slightly. "Don't you...have an actual family?"

Lucy scowled and stabbed her pancakes. "Yes. Technically my father is still alive."

"You don't sound happy about that. Asshole?"

"Nah. Egotistical, chauvinistic, money-grubbing douchebag."

Cobra arched his good brow. "Ah. So ...worse?"

"Oh yeah." Lucy used her fork to catapult a bite of pancake towards the barn, watching Aquarius and Leo and the chickens race for it. 

"Is he an active enema or just a passive douchebag?"

Lucy laughed, good mood returning. "Passive usually. He hasn't bothered me in almost a year now." Last spring he had blustered at her about marrying some big wig he was trying to get into a business deal. She sent him packing and she hadn't heard a word since.

Cobra grunted, swiping the last of his syrup off his plate and licking it off his finger. "May it stay that way."

Lucy giggled. "More?" His hopeful, puppy dog look had her grinning as she refilled his plate. "Planned to hook up the boys in the morning. How are you at plowing?" The blank look she got answered her, but she pointed at the waiting garden anyway. "Plowing. For crops."

Cobra's face said he had an epiphany moment and he also looked...relieved for some reason. "Right. Oxen. No fucking clue. I can make it work though."

Lucy laughed. "Oh no, mountain man. I'll be the judge of that. We'll look at that tomorrow. How is the loft looking? I haven't been up there since fall."

Cobra gave her a lopsided grin. "It's fine. I'm not picky." He pointed with his fork. “You're running low on firewood, and the shingles on your cabin look like you have three leaks."

Lucy cringed. "Four. Sprouted another last night."

Cobra grunted. "That I can fix." He smirked again. "You can admire, but not judge." He shoved the last bite of pancake into his mouth and hopped up. "I know a nice cedar tree that I can use." He set his plate down and...walked away. Lucy sat there and watched as the man went into the barn then came out with her ax and wandered into the woods. 

"Cedar...is he making shingles?" She looked at Aquarius, who sneezed. "What have I gotten myself into?" She took the dishes inside and cleaned up, tucking Lark's scale under her mattress just in case. Questions about that would be bad. Then she grabbed a notebook and walked around the farm making a long list of things that needed done now that spring was here and she had a big, strong, sexy, lickable man to help her. She also slapped herself for thinking about licking him.

Cobra knew nothing about farming. That much became obvious rather quickly. He was an excellent handy man and a quick learner though. Her house had brand new cedar shingles that didn't leak a drop, as did the barn, the chicken coop, and the smokeshed. He didn't know a spade from a sickle, but it took him about two hours to get better than her at handling the boys and the plow. Somehow the oxen seemed to walk faster for him. He was also damn good at foraging and hunting. She'd never been handed so many wild mushrooms at once before. 

They settled into a comfortable pattern rather quickly. Cobra fed the livestock and hauled water while she milked the cows and gathered eggs. He would then chop wood, which he was scarily good at, while she made breakfast. They ate on the front porch while talking about what needed done that day. Morning was spent on farm maintenance, repairs, and tending to the crops. Then Lucy would cook lunch, which was also eaten on the porch. 

During the heat of the day Lucy settled in at her desk and wrote while Cobra...wandered off into the woods. He always brought something back for her. A small animal, a string of fish, some foraged herb, a pretty rock, an eagle feather, flowering wild plants he would then plant in a freshly dug garden bed. She never knew what he would hand her when he came back. She would eagerly listen to whatever story he brought back, then go cook dinner while he went to bathe.

After dinner they would light lanterns and hang them in the barn. Lucy would do the evening milking while Cobra brushed down each of the animals and checked the sheep for burrs in their wool. Lucy gathered eggs and took them with her to process milk while he finished with the animals. Then they would sit in the barn, working with the small batches of wool Lucy crocheted baby clothes and delicate women's shawls out of. Cobra's nimble fingers quickly picked up the carding and spinning and he seemed to enjoy it. 

Weeks passed and Lucy slowly pieced together a vague version of Cobra's tale. His mother was dead, remembered fondly and spoken of in a hushed tone as if she was sacred. His father had apparently been a terrible enough individual that Cobra was involved with his death, which was the only fond memory he had of the man. The scar on his face and the loss of his eye was attributed to 'that pig-humping lightning bastard' who had apparently been known for a long time and was expected to continue being a problem. 

He did _not_ like to be snuck up on. She learned that one afternoon when she had come around the corner of the barn and surprised him, only to end up slammed against the wall with his fingers around her throat and a snarl in his. It had startled her and quite plainly traumatized him. She paired that reaction with the glimpses of scars she occasionally got despite him wearing long sleeves at all times and decided it was alright that he had killed his dad. If he...had killed his dad that is. She was pretty sure he had.

She was fairly certain Cobra wasn't entirely human. The sharp teeth that were more like fangs than human teeth had been her first clear clue. Then there was the way he interacted with the animals, like he understood them in ways Lucy didn’t. He could hear things Lucy couldn’t and had an uncanny sense of smell. The adorable pointed ears that sometimes peeked through his messy hair were another of those not-a-normal-guy things.

The magical forest creatures sometimes took human lovers and reproduced. Levy had been fairy blooded from some four or so generations back, what pure humans called an 'imp'. Cobra was no fairy, that much was obvious, however the longer she knew him the more the signs pointed to something more inside him. Werewolf blood maybe. She had met a lykin once before. Some of the signs fit, though lykin tended to live in family groups like true wolves. She trusted nonhumans more than her own kin anyway so it didn't bother her. She actually felt safer with Cobra around.

…………………..

"Oi, Buttercup, you want me to take Aries and Libra out to Mr Johnson's tomorrow?" Lucy's golden-brown eyes peaked at him from around Virgo's scrawny, hardly worth thinking of chewing on hindquarters. Really. Who breeds skinny cows on purpose? Three juicy cows can make just as much milk as two bony ones and smell better doing it.

"They coming into season? You don't have to. I can walk them over after lunch." He couldn't help but smile at the fact that her fingers kept moving. 

"You hired me to do annoying shit like that so you can focus on your book." He forced his eyes away from the pretty little milkmaid so he could focus on unraveling the twig from Plue's wool. Lucy's giggle almost had him looking up again. 

"I don't pay you, remember? I just feed you."

"Exactly. Priorities."

"How can someone as smart and sweet and strong and sexy as you not want something more out of life than a dry place to sleep, three meals a day, and to be left alone?" Cobra looked up at her, but she wasn't watching him anymore. He smiled softly and patted the sheep that he had finally managed to make friends with. Really...he was a dragon. Him working so hard to make friends with sheep was laughable.

"It's not that I don't want anything. It's...most of the things I want I can get right here." Most things. For now. "Which reminds me. Can I have a weekend?" He needed to properly stretch his wings and fly his borders. He was completely unprepared for the mischievous, almost seductive smirk Lucy gave him. 

"Need to get out and get yourself some sugar, hot stuff?"

Cobra. Blushed. The Blood Dragon. Undone by a milkmaid with hay in her hair and a cow's tail slung over her head. 

"No! That's not what I meant! I just... I mean… I'm a little restless and…"

"I hear sex helps with that."

"Fuck you, Buttercup."

"If you ask nicely."

"Uhh…" He really wasn't sure what to do with that. Sure she was a sweet female, but...that wasn't what they were. In fact he tried very hard not to think about things like what the skin over her collarbone would taste like. She giggled at him and he bared his fangs in a growl just to make his point. 

"Please is generally considered more effective than growling when it comes to-"

"I know how to get laid and how to be polite. I just choose not to be." She snorted and giggled harder while he cringed at himself.

"I've noticed that about you." Cobra dropped his head back and groaned. She was killing him and he was letting her. "Of course you can have a few days. I think we should break out the booze tonight. I've got some good stuff stored away." Lucy stood, patting Virgo on the shoulder and heading for the door with her milk pails. "Come on up to the house when you're done."

Cobra stared at her as she left. The images their banter had brought to life in his mind and his head spinning. He took a deep breath and looked at the red tomcat perched on Capricorn's back. "I'm fucked aren't I?" The cat meowed. "Is this what humans call whipped? I never got the term before." The cat meowed again. "Fuck you. You're no help at all."

He shook his head and finished the chores, making sure all the gates were locked and the animals settled for the night before he headed for the cabin. The windows were glowing a dark pink through her curtains and the flowers around her porch were starting to form buds. Her home always looked so welcoming, bright and warm just like her. 

Cobra was only on the porch for a few moments, his eyes on the horizon, before the door opened and the smell of spice cookies and whiskey floated outside. When he turned Lucy was standing in the doorway, the light behind her making her appear to glow. She smiled sweetly and the memory of warm milk and soft humming rose in his mind again. 

"You coming in?"

"I...are you sure?" He had always respected her space. He was a dragon. He understood territory and how personal a being's den was to them. He almost broke and purred when she chuckled and reached out her hand to gently catch his fingers in hers, pulling him inside.

"Of course. I wouldn't be getting drunk with you if I didn't trust you." He did purr then. Briefly. He chuckled to hide it as she let go of his hand and set glasses on the table.

"Are we celebrating something?"

"Nah. Just relaxing. You aren't the only one getting spring jitters." Cobra studied her closer at that. Was that a bad thing? A good thing? What did it mean? "We've gotten a lot of work done since you came." Lucy leaned back in her chair and sipped at her drink. "I could never have gotten even half of this done without your help. Thank you."

"Well...you fueled the work." Cobra sipped at his drink to hide his nerves. Really...he owed her. It had grown from that to the point where he wanted to be here even if she hadn't given him more than he could ever repay. 

"My cooking is _not_ that good." Lucy nibbled on a cookie and hummed softly. "You have your reasons for what you do. I respect that, Cobra." She stretched her hand towards him, letting it rest on the table between them. "I ask and poke because I'm curious and I care. You don't have to answer and you can even tell me to shut up and mind my own business." Her soft smile had him reaching out and letting his fingers slip between hers to cradle her hand. 

"Erik. That's the name my mother gave me. You earned the right to use it." 

"Erik…" His true name on her lips sent a shiver up his spine. "She chose well. It suits you." 

"Mmm. If you say so." He was more focused on the feel of her fingers in his. "I don't...share that name with just anyone." 

Lucy squeezed his hand before answering. "I'll treasure it, and guard it fiercely."

Cobra grinned at her, thrilled by that response. "Fearless as a Dragoness with the heart of an angel."

Lucy blushed and refilled their glasses. "Hush you. I fear things. Everybody fears something." Cobra scoffed at that, playing with her fingers. "They do. Sometimes the fear only makes sense to them, but we all fear." He cocked his head and she sighed. "Being alone. That's my fear. Being locked in a cage... alone."

Cobra scowled and reached out to carefully brush fingers along her jaw. That was the way she sought to comfort him when she first found him after all. "A beautiful flower like you...should never be alone in the dark. You should always be surrounded by the love of those whose lives you shine in." He pulled his hand back and looked away when he realized what he had said. How had he not gagged on that shit? "I... probably read that in a book once."

Lucy chuckled and leaned forward, face close enough to his scarred face for him to feel her heat as she murmured softly in his ear. "Read a lot of romantic poetry books, do you?"

"N...no." He couldn't think with her this close. As terrified as he was of hurting her he wanted her to touch him. Please? Just a little. Please, please, please. He gasped when he felt her lips press lightly over his scar before she retreated. "I…. I'm more of a...blood and death and gore kind of guy." What the fuck was he doing? Shut up, Cobra! Just stop talking. "What the hell would a guy like me do with all that mushy, sweet shit?" Fuck. Stoooooop. 

Lucy giggled, refilling the glass he hadn't realized he had emptied. "Use it as jam on your pancakes?" He laughed. He couldn't help it. 

"That's as good a plan as any, I suppose." He tossed an entire cookie into his mouth and sighed at the taste on his tongue. Most spices had low levels of toxins in them that his magic just loved. Lucy didn't know that, but she did know he loved nutmeg with a passion. "Your cooking really is _that_ good."

Lucy giggled, cheeks already flushed from alcohol. "You're easy to please. Bottomless pit of a man. I've only ever met one person who can out eat you."

Cobra blinked in surprise. "Who?" He was a mother fucking dragon. Even in this form he wasn't human.

"Lark. He could out eat you." She was grinning and kicking her feet under the table. "I'd pit him against anyone in an eating contest." 

Himself. He could out eat him. That made sense. And the dragon version of him was a person in her eyes. That was interesting. He also had to pretend he didn't know himself. That was awkward.

"Friend from the village?"

"Nyah. Lark is...a free spirit. He likes people less than you do." That...was true. The winter had been a learning experience.

"Why?"

"They're stupid." He laughed at that. How could she know him so well after just the short time she had spent under his wing? "I think they hurt him really bad too. He doesn't talk about it though." Technically Lark hadn't said a word to her.

"Humans hurt a lot of people."

Lucy made a very unladylike noise. "They really do. They aren't all bad though. I've had some really good friends over the years." She trailed off and looked sad.

"You… don't talk about them much."

"Because most of them are either gone or...in the past." She smiled faintly. "There was a maid in my father's house. Virgo. Yes I named my milk cow after her. She was odd, but...so very sweet and loyal. She helped me escape. Cana. She was a drunk, but a happy drunk. She helped me learn how to survive in the real world. My best friend Levy. She's gone now. She was so smart. She gave me the courage to share my stories with the world. The first time one of my manuscripts was published we got rip roaring drunk and fell out a second story window. Not my best moment." Lucy chuckled.

Cobra felt a mixture of guilt, happiness, and rage. The girl Lucy thought Lark had eaten. The one he had sent to Minstrel. Black Steel had taken her. Was she still alive? Maybe he could find out. He couldn't straight up tell her, but...maybe 'Lark' could drop a hint. He was suddenly feeling like he was digging his own grave with this Lark thing.

"That sounds painful."

"Eh. We were drunk and landed in... something gross, but soft. We didn't get hurt."

Cobra shuddered. "Ew."

"Exactly. What about you? You have friends out there somewhere?"

"...sort of? I have a friend in Caelum. Don't hear from her often though. She's a little...crazy."

Lucy snorted. "Aren't all Caelish?"

Cobra chuckled. "True." Lucy whined at her empty glass and reached for the bottle. She almost fell out of her chair doing it so Cobra plucked the bottle from her hands. "Oi. Unless you wanna be too hungover to do chores in the morning you need to stop."

"Coooobyyyy. Killing my buzz man." He snickered at her. She was an adorable mess, laying on the table looking up at him with those big brown eyes. "Stop momming me." 

He couldn't help purring. "Not on your life, Buttercup." He stood and pulled her up into his arms. "C'mon. I'll help you to bed so you don't get hurt." Lucy cooed and nuzzled into his neck which sent all sorts of magic rushing through his body. Fuck. He was so dead. "Hey now. Behave."

"Don't wanna. You smell good."

"Um...thanks?" He shifted her to get a grip on her bedroom door and open it. 

"And you feel good." Her fingers slid up into his hair. 

"Oi. Hands. Touch your nose!" Please. Because he couldn't handle this touching thing. Lucy whined and pulled her hand from his hair to touch her nose. 

"But I wanna taste you." Fuuuuuuck. 

"You are too drunk to walk. Ask again when you're sober." She wouldn't. That was a safe bet. He dropped her gently onto her pink bed and his knees almost gave out at the rush of *them* scented air that hit him. Her fucking bed smelled like him. Why the *fuck* did her bed smell like he had been in it every night for weeks? 

"Cuddles?" Fuuuuck his life. 

Cobra pried fingers out of his shirt and sighed. "Buttercup, Lucy, please. I need you to sleep tonight. Please?" She whined, but curled into a ball and let him pull a blanket over her. "Sleep. I'll see you in the morning." 

"Night, Dragon-Eyes." Oh. She'd noticed that. His pupils were round in this form, but the purple color was still there. They were _his_ eyes not dragon eyes, er...eye now since he only had one left, but...okay.

Cobra cleaned up the kitchen before he headed outside, taking a deep breath of night air. He had to get Lucy out of his lungs before he went crazy. He crouched and rubbed Aquarius's ears, grateful the bitch had warmed up to him. 

"I'm so screwed. I didn't expect this when I came. I just...wanted to help her. Repay her for what she did." The dog sneezed at him. "Well fuck you too." 

The man sighed and headed for the woods. He didn't actually sleep in the loft unless it was raining. He shifted at night and flew the nearby skies before finding a hill-top to sleep on. Tonight he anticipated more flying and less sleep.

……………...

Lucy was on her hands and knees weeding the garden when the carriage pulled up. An honest to Mavis, four white horses, footman and driver carriage. Lucy wasn't sure if she was grateful that Cobra wasn't here to witness this travesty or if she wished her father had chosen any weekend other than the one Cobra had asked off to 'visit'. Either way she was tired, dirty, lonely, and now pissed. She sighed and stood, brushing her hands on her pants as she walked over. 

"Aquarius. Enough. Heel." He trusty sheepdog fell in beside her and fell silent. She crossed her arms and just waited for her father to be released from his throne on wheels. She hoped she looked terrible.

"Lucy." Her father ran eyes filled with disappointment over her. "I had hoped to find you looking more civilized."

"As opposed to looking like a real person who works for a living?" His faint sneer at the idea said it all. "You expect tea?"

"I do. Surely you haven't forgotten all of your training." Training. Lucy hadn't been raised, she had been trained. 

"Of course not. I just choose not to use it most days." She turned on her heel and headed for the cabin. Aquarius automatically stopped on the porch, knowing better than to come inside without an invitation. Lucy let the door close behind her, but her father came in anyway. Without an invitation. Lucy filled the teapot and set it on the stove, then propped the door wide open before she began setting the table for 'tea'. "So why are you here?"

"Can't a father be concerned for the health of his only daughter?"

"Considering the fact that you didn't come to see me after the blizzard that claimed over a dozen lives that I know of? No. You can't. That much is obvious." She set the platter of cookies down a little roughly. It was a hand-carved wooden platter though so it was sturdy.

"I was aware when you published your silly little children's story that you still lived."

"That was almost two months later." Lucy pulled the last of the good whiskey down and put it on her side of the table, out of her father's polite reach. "Try again."

"You haven't taken up the barbaric practice of shacking up just to avoid the offering selection, have you?"

Lucy laughed. "I would never give myself to a man for something like that. It would be wrong and sick."

"It would indeed." Lucy poured tea and watched her father sip at it for way too long. "You remember young Master Dreyer from your coming out party?" Her womb auction? 

"Sevanese businessman. Dashing, rich, powerful, so full of himself I'm surprised he can walk without limping?"

"Lucy! A young lady should never say such things. Where did you hear such talk?"

Lucy grinned at her father's discomfort. "Oh here and there. What about him?"

"He has done very well for himself. He has expanded quite far into Iceberg over the last few years and is ready to bring Raven Corp into Fiore." 

"How nice for him. His poor secretary." Her father looked irritated. Good. 

"It is our opinion that a merger would benefit both our companies. He has expressed an interest in y-"

"Did you not hear me last year?" Lucy was trembling with rage. She could barely hear Aquarius barking over her own heart thudding in her ears.

"You said you would not marry a man old enough to be your father. Laxus Dreyer is your peer." 

"I said I wouldn't marry anyone I didn't love _especially_ a man old enough to be my father."

"You will. Have you not learned, child. Your defying me only leads to pain." Lucy scoffed, but he kept talking. "Virgo was such a good servant. I was sad to have to dismiss her."

"You jerk-"

"The barmaid wasn't a large loss to anyone, but you are so sensitive I expected more regret from you over that."

"Wh...what?" What happened to Cana? She hadn't seen her since she left Crocus.

"And your sweet little Levy. So bright." Lucy couldn't breath. He hadn't. The lots were random. "You will not defy me again. If you do then you will no longer be of use to me and you will suffer the same fate as your little friends. A warning to those who defy me."

Oh gods...no. Her father...was murdering people who helped her? Killing them. Levy, Cana, Virgo...no. How had she not known?

"...ucy… Miss Lucy?"

"You are interrupting an important conversation. Begone."

"Fuck that shit. You've made her cry! Give me one good reason not to-"

"Cobra…" Lucy blinked at the very angry looking man kneeling beside her and cradling her hands in his. "Y...you're home."

"Sure I am."

"Lucy! You are living with this...this...sad excuse for a man? He is obviously the worst of the criminal type. A peasant of poor breeding and-"

Lucy's entire body twitched and she slowly looked up at her father. "It is none of your concern who I live with. However…" she placed a hand on Cobra's shoulder to steady herself as she stood. "If you ever speak of my precious and dear friend in such a way again you won't be having any opinions at all for a long time." Aquarius began to growl from the doorway. "Cobra is trustworthy, loyal, honest, kind, intelligent, and well mannered to those who deserve it. Get off my land."

"Lucy-" 

Lucy snapped her fingers and Aquarius lunged. Her father screamed and fell from his chair trying to get away. Lucy pulled a whip from the wall and uncoiled it as her dog chased her scrambling father out of the house and off the porch. 

"Aquarius. Sit." The dog sat, muscles trembling. Lucy's arm twitched and the whip leapt through the air, snapping across Jude's leg and tearing his perfectly tailored pant leg. "Get out." She spoke coldly, whip floating through the air as she drew back again. Three more times she struck her father, leaving at least one line of blood on his back through his torn shirt. "Come back and you won't ever leave!" She shouted at the carriage that was racing away.

As the dust cleared the adrenaline in her blood began to fade and her knees gave out. Strong, warm arms caught her and she heard an odd purring sound. Cobra's voice whispered in her ear and she felt herself being lifted the door of her cabin close. She clung to him and trembled, terror, pain, and horror filling her. 

The world slowly began to expand from the empty darkness inside her. Gently fingers were combing through her hair and she could hear soft cooing noises. Warmth seemed to soak into her body from the arms wrapped around her. The smell of safety and home calmed the frantic feeling in her mind enough for her to think.

"It's okay, Buttercup. Dunno what happened...but you're safe. I won't let him hurt you again. I'll be right here. I promise."

"Cobra…"

"Right here, precious. I'm right here."

"Erik...the D-Dragon King Festival...he said...he sent L-Levy...he set her up...as the offering... b-ecause I wouldn't marry Mr Porla. My father...k-killed people because of me. I caused her death." She sobbed into his chest, as his arms tightened around her and he growled. 

"You did _not_. You've never harmed an innocent, Lucy. Anything that happened was entirely his fault." 

"But...I didn't know. Cana, Virgo. He punished them... because of me. Who...who else...he could have…"

"Hush love. It was his choice. We know now. We won't let him harm anyone else."

"B...but… you… he could come after you."

"He could try. I'm not what he thinks I am. He can't hurt me. Trust me on that. Please." 

Lucy couldn't respond to that. She just clung to him and cried. Her father had hundreds of employees, connections all over the country. Cobra was one man. She trusted him, but… if her father came after him what could he do.

"I'm not going anywhere. I promise I won't leave you alone. I'd never do that to you...not again." That...made no sense. She didn't care though. She clung to that promise and didn't let go. 

Lucy cried herself to sleep, trusting Cobra to keep her from shattering into a thousand pieces. When she woke it was dark. At first she thought she was alone. Cobra wasn't there, wasn't holding her. Then she moved and got a lap full of Aquarius and a face full of dog tongue. 

"Ew. Gross. Stop. I love you too. Cut it out." She wrangled the dog and stared around the room in confusion. "What...are you doing inside?" Aquarius wagged her tail. 

"Off. Let me up." The dog hopped down and Lucy carefully left the room, blinking at the plate of food on the table. Venison, bread with strawberry jam, and buttered yams. "Okay…" She jumped when the door opened and Cobra came in, setting full milk buckets on the counter. 

"Lucy...you're awake." His beautiful eyes were full of worry for her and something in her heart cracked. He'd take care of her animals, her family, and left Aquarius in her room so she wasn't alone. Lucy took two steps, curling into his chest and wrapping arms around him. The man made a surprised sound, but held her tightly. "You okay, Buttercup?" She nodded shakily and his fingers began stroking her hair. "Good. Chores are all done. I'm not as good at milking as you are. Lyra complained."

Lucy gave a weak little laugh and looked up at him. "Thank you. For taking care of us."

Cobra blinked as if surprised by that, then smiled faintly. "Of course, Lucy. Always." 

"...was that your plan when you came to live with us?" She smirked faintly to show him she was teasing. 

He snorted. "Nope. Planned to fix your roof and leave when the dogwoods bloomed." They both knew that the March blooming dogwoods had long lost their petals. Tomorrow was the first day of June. Lucy slid her hands up his chest, watching that beautiful purple eye darken. His breathing changed when her fingers sank into his hair. "You'll Never get rid of me like this."

"Good." Lucy stood on her tiptoes, lips brushing his as she whispered. "I want you to always come home to me." Even if he chose to leave...she wanted Erik. He was her choice for as long as she could have him.

"There….there are things you… don't know." Cobra's muscles were tense, his fingers tight in her hair. 

"I trust you." 

Erik groaned and pulled her into a kiss. He was gentle for only a moment before began to devour her with a hunger that would have startled her if she wasn't too busy kissing him back to think. She gasped when her back hit something solid. Wall? Door? Elephant? Didn't matter because Erik's tongue was in her mouth and his hand was sliding over her hip.

Lucy moaned and slid one leg up to wrap around his hip. The feel of his entire body pressed against hers stole her thoughts, the very air from her lungs. Her entire world was Erik. Cobra. The man she loved.

"Mine!" Cobra gasped against her mouth tipping his head to kiss her neck. "All of you." Lucy moaned at the feel of sharp teeth against her skin. "Anything less...tell me...right now. Please."

"Yours. Shit…" Lucy's eyes rolled back into her head when he growled, teeth over her pulse. "Love you. Choose you." He grabbed her hips and lifted her up against his body, carrying her towards her bedroom. "My Erik." He purred. It was sexy. She had never realized men made such amazing sounds. Or maybe it was just _her_ man.

…………….

Her Erik. Fucking hell. The things that phrase did to him. Cobra growled against the skin of her neck as he shouldered her bedroom door open. He almost stumbled when she rolled her hips against him and twisted to kiss down his neck. 

"Fuck. Buttercup…" His fingers found their way under the back of her shirt and he groaned at the feel of her soft skin. "My Lucy." He tipped them onto the bed that smelled of poison dragon and evening blossoms, pressing his forehead to hers to ground himself for just a moment. "My mate."

The brilliant smile he received from her made his heart tremble. His kind rarely took true mates. They would dally, even have children, but a mate meant sharing with another being as an equal. Clutch mates sharing territory was one thing, a mate was something entirely different. 

Sure his sire had a 'wife' in Seven as a human. The woman had been a business arrangement that he made as a human. She hadn't known what he was. Cobra had it on good authority that the only child from that marriage was part of that business arrangement. The fact that he inherited Raven's draconic side was a happy accident, an accident that had killed Raven's 'wife'. Cobra's own mother had been an unwilling sacrifice and the fact that Raven had two dragon sons by human mothers was an extremely rare occurrence. Neither those two women, nor any other of Raven's countless victims had been a mate. 

A mate was an equal. A mate had a dragon's unwavering loyalty. A mate was trusted. A mate was the only being who had power over a dragon. Taking Lucy as his mate meant Cobra would likely never have draconic children, since he was, at most, a half-breed himself. He would definitely never have another chance to sire a clutch. His legacy would be landbound and when he passed from this world a dragon of another line would claim Fiore. He accepted that.

He would also need to explain parading around as...not an imposter. Whatever pretending not to be himself made him. Later. He wasn't doing that now.

"I...love you, Lucy. I'm yours. All of me." There was a whole lot more of him that she knew yet, but the statement stood.

"I love you too, Erik." She tugged lightly on his hair, tipping her face up to kiss him lightly. Cobra growled against her lips, one hand sliding up under her shirt. Aquarius started barking at them. Cobra groaned and dropped his head to Lucy's shoulder when she started giggling. 

"Dog, I know you've had a long day and you're being protective, but fuck off. She's mine." Erik turned his head enough to glare at the still barking sheepdog, baring one fang at her. Lucy laughed harder and patted his shoulder, pushing at him gently. Cobra growled an octave too low for Lucy to hear as he rolled off of her. Aquarius fell silent, laying on her belly. Either she got Cobra's message, went silent because Lucy was standing, or was just content now that the dragon man wasn't on her mistress anymore. 

Cobra and Aquarius had a tentative truce. He pretended to be mostly human and she pretended to not mostly hate him. He didn't blame her. He was an apex predator, the apex predator. She was just protecting her territory. Aquarius kept Lucy safe so Cobra cherished the bitch. Lucy loved on the dog for a moment before sending her outside. Cobra started to sit up and follow her, but she came right back, tackling him to the bed and kissing him till he purred. 

"Off." Lucy tugged on his shirt. "I've been drooling over this body since the day you came here." She leaned back, straddling his thighs as she worked the ties on his shirt. Cobra yanked his shirt off, not caring that he would have to repair torn seams later. 

Lucy's hands trailing over the bare skin of his chest had him gasping, eyes closing in bliss. She had angel hands. He'd thought so the first time he woke to her touch and now he was even more sure of it. He shivered as she traced the scars on his chest and shoulders. The cluster of lines that he had gained in his first encounter with the orange dragoness, the claw marks from the time Black Steel tried to rip the magic from his chest.

He sucked in a breath and opened his eyes when her hand smoothed over the large scar just under his ribs where his father had almost gutted him during their final battle. The scars he gained fighting as a dragon were a source of pride to him, but those he got from his father in either form still burned when he thought about them. It was as if they had never properly healed. The soft look in Lucy's eyes and her sweet smile had him relaxing again. She leaned down and kissed the pale skin and Cobra let out a slow breath. 

"My father. I've only been closer to death once." He held still, watching her and waiting. He knew human women tended to see scars as flaws, grotesque, but Lucy had never reacted poorly to the one that crossed his lost eye. 

"Closer than this?" She scowled as she traced the mark again. "It looks like he tore out your liver."

"Almost. I was still fighting though. I gave up once." He lifted his arm as traced the small, round scar there. "This is the only mark I have from that time. From after I started fighting again." The scar that would show as a single red scale in his larger form, right where Lucy had leaned against him in the night, reading her story aloud to him. "I won't ever give up again, not as long as I have you."

"You better not." Lucy grinned down at him as her fingers ran alongside his to trace the round scar. "I'll find a witch to drag your soul back to me." Cobra laughed and dragged her up to kiss her soundly. 

"Fierce little flower." Lucy made a growling noise and dove back in, body pressing against his. Cobra groaned at the sensation, arms wrapping around her and hands clenching in her shirt. He'd been so afraid to touch her since the incident when he'd come so close to killing her. Why hadn't he moved sooner? She felt so...perfect.

He nipped at her lower lip with his fangs and growled loudly, letting his true nature show enough to warn her. She moaned, nails dragging down his sides and sending pleasure shooting down his nerves. There was hunger blazing like fire in her eyes as she sat up and pulled her shirt off. Not a trace of fear. Not his Lucy. 

She was hope and healing. Strong as the mountains and soft as butterfly wings. Her voice shattered him into a thousand pieces and her fingers rebuilt him so that he would forever be her creature. Her joy and pleasure echoed in his ears and the taste of her filled his senses. As he pushed his magic into her flesh and tasted her willingly shared blood he was certain they had touched the stars themselves.

  
  


……………

  
  


Lucy was fairly certain her mate had the worst timing ever in the history of timing, or maybe she just had bad luck. Their deliciously exhausting sexathon had been cut short by Cobra's reaction to her retelling of her father's visit. Apparently what her fa- Jude had been up to was something that needed immediately addressed by Cobra's...friends, she wasn't sure if that was the right term, before the summer offering. She had gotten a hungry kiss and a promise to explain everything when he returned and then he was gone. 

He had been fuming in rage when he left. Literally. There were curls of purplish smoke-like stuff curling from between his fangs. It smelled sweet and tangy. She was fairly certain he was breathing poison, but it hadn't seemed to hurt her. She had no clue what that was about.

Really, Erik's dramatic reaction wouldn't have bothered her that much if she had been able to stay at home and wait for him to come back. Instead she had been shot. At least that's what she thinks happened. Tranquilizer blow-dart to the ass when she was bent over to pet Leo. She had a vague memory of plucking it out and staring at it before another pinch hit her shoulder. She didn't remember falling asleep, but she had woken up in a very luxuriously decorated cell with the mother of all headaches. 

Her skeezy jailor had presented her with a marriage contract already signed by Jude Heartfilia and Laxus Dreyer. She could sign her name on the X or she could be this year's offering to the Dragon King of Fiore. Betray her mate or get fed to The Blood Dragon. She laughed in his face, told him she would take her chances with the dragon, and spit in his eye. She found the fact that he ended up screaming in pain and clawing at his eye as he stumbled out the door both bewildering and hilarious.

So yeah. Cobra takes a vacation and her father visits. Cobra goes on some sort of business trip and she gets kidnapped, by her father nonetheless, and fed to a dragon. At least the dragon was a friend of hers...sort of. It was possible that Lark wouldn't eat her. It was also possible that when the purple dragon arrived he would suck the flesh from her bones and leave her skeleton still chained to this stupid rock. She kicked the rock. It hurt so she gave up and sat down to wait.

Hours and a boredom induced nap later she heard a rhythmic whooshing sound from the east, quickly growing louder. Joy and terror filled her in equal measure at the sight of the beautiful, burgundy creature moving gracefully through the air. On one hand his wing seemed to have healed well and she got to see a friend, on the other hand said friend might eat her. Cobra would not be happy if her bet didn't pay off. 

"Lark!" The dragon jerked his head back and back-winged hard to stay in the air as she waved her chained hands. "It's Lucy! Remember me?" The dragon made a pained sound loud enough for Lucy to hear from the ground, then snarled. He turned and roared towards town, shooting a violent cloud of purple fumes that left withered plants in its wake. Small animals scattered in all directions only to fall to the ground, tiny bodies convulsing. "Well fuck."

The dragon landed between her and the town, growling and grumbling under his breath. More gouts of poison shot from his nostrils toward town as if to punctuate his complaints. His tail lashed in a clear display of how thoroughly pissed off he was at the situation. Lucy was sure the gawkers that had been lingering to see her death had all either pissed their pants or fainted dead away. Hopefully not actually dead.

Lucy smiled as her eyes traced the mended places on the dragon's body that she had doctored so carefully last winter. Scars that left sparks of fire between purple scales that sparkled in the summer sun. A living, breathing dragon's breath opal with the power to leave entire towns as nothing but a memory. He was so beautiful like this, neck arched and wings flared open in a predatory display that had her heart fluttering in her chest.

"You going to leave me here all day, sexy?" His large head snapped around and a single purple eye blinked at her. She grinned and cocked her head. "Exhibitionism and bondage aren't your kinks, Erik. Besides, Virgo and Lyra have missed at least three milkings by now. We need to go home." He snorted at her and chuckled as his huge head slowly dropped to the ground in front of her. 

"My beautiful mate." She squeaked at the familiar, but much...larger voice that came from the dragon. She hadn't considered that he might be able to speak in this form. His eye narrowed and he growled at her. "Did you know when they brought you here?"

"Nope!" She smiled at him. "But you already knew I trusted this side of you." Then she shook her head. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It wasn't… I didn't know how to bring it up and…" He looked away and sighed. "I was afraid the truth would make you see me as less...human. It's one thing to trust me not to eat you or even into your bed knowing I'm not human, another to give a monster your heart." Lucy reached out and gently traced the scar on his face, chuckling when his enormous body shivered. 

"Sweetheart… I always knew Cobra wasn't human. I always knew the dragon I called Lark wasn't a monster. Erik has held my heart so very gently ever since I found him under his armor." The dragon made a crooning noise and leaned into her touch slightly. "I love you. You are my mate and I am yours." Cobra pulled back and grinned at her. In dragon form that could have been really scary if she didn't trust him implicitly. 

"Mine!" He lunged and began tearing at where the chain was attached to the stone. "I will fly you home, we will care for your pet snacks, and I will lick every inch of your skin before we go to the Conference."

"The...what now?" She was a little stuck on the idea of him licking her. That and she hadn't known poison did that to stone or metal. 

"Conference. There hasn't been reason to call one in many hundreds of years. Dragons aren't inclined to peacefully talk through our issues or practice ...teamwork." he was nuzzling her body and sniffing as if he would find something on her person. "This offering nonsense has to be addressed though. The senior dragoness in Ishgar right now is open to talking with us and…" He blinked and somehow looked sheepish. "Black Steel has been convinced to cooperate...by your friend Levy."

"She's alive!?"

"I took her to Minstrel. She smelled like scrolls and ink. I think she is his pet scholar now." When her eye twitches he hastened to explain. "It's not an insult! It's like...what do you humans call it...a sponsor? He protects her, cares for her."

"Did you eat Cana?" Cobra sneered at her. 

"Even if alcohol is poison I prefer my liver fresh, not pickled. She will come to the Conference with the Caelish dragoness. Each of us has been welcomed to bring a human to...help provide cultural perspective. Some of us, like my egotistical, greedy, pigheaded brother, do not value humans as we should."

"Your...brother?"

"Half brother!" Cobra's protest was an instinctive reaction. "He has far too much of our sire in him and mother wasn't around to teach him to care about anything but himself. She died when Laxus was just a hatchling."

"....Laxus….Dreyer? So your father..."

"Sire. Ivan Dreyer was no true father to anyone. The Raven was a heartless, soulless, bloodthirsty beast. The bloodthirsty all came to me." He grinned smugly. "That's why the humans call me Blood and hail his sparkly assholeness as a benevolent God."

"......Erik...honey… I love you, and I forgive you, but you sure as hell have a lot of explaining to do before this Conference of yours."

"Yes, my mate."

"Oh my god… that's why Plue was so terrified of you at first! You're a dragon!"

"Yes... and he is a sheep. A very stupid sheep. He has grown on me though."

...The End...at least for now...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Therashae's Active Stories on FFnet and Ao3
> 
> -If It Looks Human (Next Chapter in Progress)  
> -CoLu Week 2020 (Last Chapter in Progress)  
> -Nope Out (Next Chapter in Progress)  
> -Demons and Their Friends (Next Chapter being Beta-ed)  
> -Sing the Song (Shelving Under Consideration)  
> -We Have Your Book (Next Chapter in Progress)  
> -Daphne's Light  
> -What Does Lucy Do (Shelving Under Consideration)  
> -Overkill Field Trip (Undergoing Reconstruction)


End file.
